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Chapter 10

Penulis: Frosted Cabbage
That night, the entire police station was eerily quiet. The Rosen family, once a dominant force that rigorously enforced the law in the pack, had officially fallen apart.

I was dead, Carly was in custody, Jacob had fallen ill, and Dad's hair had turned grey. The media kept churning out news about our family's downfall.

Now, the four of us were finally reunited. But the place wasn't home. It was the interrogation block at the police station.

Dad sat on the bench, his face shadowed by scruffy stubble, his eyes empty.

Carly was strapped into the interrogation chair, her wrists cuffed and her ankles shackled. She didn't show a trace of regret, her face half-hidden behind her hair like she was trying to avoid both the light and the looks from Dad and Jacob.

When Dad finally spoke, his voice came out rough. He asked, "Why? Why did you… hurt Lina?"

Jacob and Dad couldn't wrap their heads around how their beloved Carly could have done something like that to me.

Carly said nothing.

Ald
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  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 11

    Once the truth came out, Dad's hair turned grey overnight.Everyone at the police station knew Jacob had lost his mind. The shock had broken him. He could do nothing but sit in the autopsy room with my body for the entire day.Alden tried to reason with him. "The case is closed. Lina should be laid to rest now."But Jacob wouldn't listen. He just kept staring at my body, whispering apologies over and over, calling my name like a broken record. "Lina, I failed you."Meanwhile, Dad suddenly remembered the bouquet I had bought for Mom. He questioned the janitor, checked the logs, and searched through garbage trucks one by one.From sunrise to sunset, he kept looking, even getting mistaken for a scavenger and driven off three times. Finally, he found it.The lilies had long since turned yellow. They were crushed, wilted, and covered in mold—just like what had become of me. He took the flowers to Mom's grave, a place I had never been allowed to visit.Rain drizzled down on Dad, as if

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 1

    "Oh, my goodness! This woman died a horrible death!""She was a pureblood werewolf attacked by a rogue. Her body was pumped full of liquid silver!""How did her family not realize what was happening? Couldn't anyone sense she was dead?"The TV kept replaying the news of my death while the comments section blew up with arguments about how I'd died. People reacted with shock, grief, and even outrage. But not a single one of them knew who I really was.My body was found in an old storm drain at the boundary of our family land. The site had once served as a military water reserve, storing liquid silver bombs during the civil war, but it had long been abandoned.The seal had cracked open, revealing a woman's body. Rotting flesh was tangled in foul sludge, and the stench of decay was overwhelming.The police flooded the scene. Behind them came Dad, the werewolves' top officer, and my brother, the medical examiner.They assumed this was just another rogue attack. It never crossed their

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 2

    When the autopsy report came in, the entire police station went silent. Even the officers, who were no strangers to gruesome scenes, couldn't help but grimace.The report laid out the details. The victim was a young female, no older than 21 years old, with pure werewolf blood. Before her death, she had endured brutal abuse.Her body showed multiple broken bones, severe soft tissue damage, and traces of silver and wolfsbane that ravaged her system, shutting down her organs.She had been stabbed 99 times, with each wound deliberately placed to avoid killing her instantly.The actual cause of death was a forced injection of a liquid silver and wolfsbane mixture. It paralyzed her nerves, collapsed her lungs, and ultimately choked the life out of her.After death, her face had been mutilated, and her fingerprints were removed, making her nearly impossible to identify.Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Division, Alden Eastman, closed the report and clenched his jaw.He coul

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 3

    I was overwhelmed with regret and couldn't bring myself to leave, so I followed Dad and Jacob all the way home.When I entered, I saw Carly Rosen holding the beautifully crafted protection charm meant for pups. She happily threw herself into Dad's arms."Dad, did you fix this protection charm?" she asked.Dad wrapped his arms around her, his smile gentler than I'd ever seen. "I did. Do you like it?""I love it so much! Dad, you're the best! Jacob, can you help me put it on?"With that overly sweet smile, Carly had both Dad and Jacob wrapped around her finger. They settled on the couch together, watching her favorite show.Hovering in the air, I watched the scene, a sharp, twisting pain gripping my heart. I had begged Dad and Jacob to watch TV with me, but they never did.Just then, Carly tossed some popcorn into her mouth and asked, trying to sound casual, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Lina in a while. She hasn't been home lately. Should we check on her?"The air in the

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 4

    I still remembered the year Carly was first brought home. Her past was so tragic that our entire family treated her like something precious. I was only six years old at the time.Dad told me, "She's your younger sister now. Protect her as you would protect your own eyes."I nodded firmly, making sure to engrave those words into my heart, one by one. Carly had been rescued from the ruins. Dad and Jacob had brought her back during one of their missions.She was the only survivor of a dying litter of rogue pups. Everyone called her resilient, saying she was a divine blessing—a pup favored by the Moon Goddess. I believed it, too.I cradled her close, comforted her, and protected her, never allowing anyone to mistreat her. In return, she clung to me desperately, insisting that I was her only haven and that I meant everything to her.One day, when Carly accidentally knocked over a candle and set the house on fire, she froze in terror.Shaking uncontrollably, she pressed herself against

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 5

    Only the dead couldn't reveal the truth. Thanks to Dad's influence, Carly must have learned that lesson a long time ago. Perhaps her desire to kill me had been simmering for years before it finally emerged.But back then, I was foolish. I treated her like my little sister, mistaking her clinginess for real affection.I convinced myself that if I took the blame for the fire, our family's bonds might still heal. I thought we could become a true family, even though we weren't bound by blood. I was too naive.After Mom died, Dad grew colder with each passing day. He stopped calling me by name and began referring to me as "she". Even glancing my way at breakfast seemed like too much effort.If I showed up to the table a few minutes late, he'd slam his utensils down beside his plate and snarl, "You've got no manners! Who do you take after with that behavior?"Even Jacob didn't bother hiding his disgust. He used to be the one who spoiled me the most, but he had turned against me now.On

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 6

    The anniversary of Mom's death came around fast. Dad and Jacob took off early from the police station to visit her grave.Alden stopped Dad and asked, "You're still not letting Lina visit her mom this year?"Dad's face was unreadable. "She's the reason her mom's gone. How does she even have the nerve to show up?"Alden sighed and tried to reason with him, saying, "You're all part of the same family. That bond doesn't just disappear. There's no need to be that harsh."Jacob stood with one hand in his pocket, his expression indifferent. "Lina doesn't care. Carly called her, and she didn't even pick up. If she really wanted to join us, she would've shown up by now."I stood off to the side, my tears falling silently. I wanted to tell them that I wasn't staying away by choice. The truth was, I was already dead.I missed Mom more than anything. If I could, I would've traded my life for hers. But now, no matter how loudly I screamed, no one could hear me.I watched as Dad, Jacob, and

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 7

    The assistant thrust the report into Jacob's hands, his voice wavering slightly. "The deceased is definitely Lina Rosen."I had always thought that no one from my family would shed a single tear if I died. But right now, Jacob's eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled as he stared at the report.Dad stood frozen in place, hardly showing any reaction. But when Alden reached over and touched him, he collapsed to the ground and fainted.When Dad came to in the hospital, his first instinct was to yank out the IV line. Alden quickly forced him back down.With a hollow laugh, Dad's eyes blazed with contempt. "This is the best she could manage? Pathetic. Are you part of this lie, too? Where's Jacob? Tell him to bring Lina back. Now!"Alden's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he muttered, "Ruth found one of Lina's hairs. We ran a DNA test… It matched. Jacob still refuses to believe it. He's rerun the test more than 40 times, but the results haven't changed."A heavy, suffocati

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  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 11

    Once the truth came out, Dad's hair turned grey overnight.Everyone at the police station knew Jacob had lost his mind. The shock had broken him. He could do nothing but sit in the autopsy room with my body for the entire day.Alden tried to reason with him. "The case is closed. Lina should be laid to rest now."But Jacob wouldn't listen. He just kept staring at my body, whispering apologies over and over, calling my name like a broken record. "Lina, I failed you."Meanwhile, Dad suddenly remembered the bouquet I had bought for Mom. He questioned the janitor, checked the logs, and searched through garbage trucks one by one.From sunrise to sunset, he kept looking, even getting mistaken for a scavenger and driven off three times. Finally, he found it.The lilies had long since turned yellow. They were crushed, wilted, and covered in mold—just like what had become of me. He took the flowers to Mom's grave, a place I had never been allowed to visit.Rain drizzled down on Dad, as if

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 10

    That night, the entire police station was eerily quiet. The Rosen family, once a dominant force that rigorously enforced the law in the pack, had officially fallen apart.I was dead, Carly was in custody, Jacob had fallen ill, and Dad's hair had turned grey. The media kept churning out news about our family's downfall.Now, the four of us were finally reunited. But the place wasn't home. It was the interrogation block at the police station.Dad sat on the bench, his face shadowed by scruffy stubble, his eyes empty.Carly was strapped into the interrogation chair, her wrists cuffed and her ankles shackled. She didn't show a trace of regret, her face half-hidden behind her hair like she was trying to avoid both the light and the looks from Dad and Jacob.When Dad finally spoke, his voice came out rough. He asked, "Why? Why did you… hurt Lina?"Jacob and Dad couldn't wrap their heads around how their beloved Carly could have done something like that to me. Carly said nothing.Ald

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 9

    Alden and the medical team had taken Dad to the hospital in our pack. It was the second time he had been admitted there.The reason for his hospitalization was emotional instability, which had caused his wolf to spiral out of control. His wolf became aggressive toward anyone who approached me, all because of his overwhelming grief.He refused to sleep or take his medication, forcing the nurses to sedate him just to keep his wolf under control. This time, he was forced to stay in the hospital for three days.At the same time, Jacob was also being treated for extreme emotional distress.During those three days, no one visited Dad—not even Carly, his favorite daughter and the one he relied on the most.Dad demanded to be discharged from the hospital so he could track down the killer himself. Three days later, he insisted on leaving. Despite the doctors' warning him against it, he ignored their advice.With great effort, Dad pushed himself up from the bed, placed a hand on the edge f

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 8

    "Lina was such a sweet and kind person! Jacob! Dad! We need to make those responsible pay for what they did to Lina!"Carly, the one who was behind both Mom's death and mine, broke down in sobs as she threw herself into Dad's and Jacob's arms. Her voice was shrill, grating on my nerves."From now on, I'll take care of both of you in her place!"I hovered above her, watching as Dad and Jacob wrapped her in a tight embrace. A cold smirk twisted my lips. Wasn't she the real killer here?Dad held her even tighter, his voice cracking with emotion. "Now that Lina's gone, you're the only daughter I have left…"Those words pierced through me, shattering my heart all over again.Carly stood between them, her tear-filled eyes locked on both of them. Her voice broke into fragments. "Jacob… Dad… Let's stay together and fight for Lina's justice, okay?"I had to admit, she really knew how to put on a show. Even after I was gone, she kept stealing whatever love Dad and Jacob still had for me.

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 7

    The assistant thrust the report into Jacob's hands, his voice wavering slightly. "The deceased is definitely Lina Rosen."I had always thought that no one from my family would shed a single tear if I died. But right now, Jacob's eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled as he stared at the report.Dad stood frozen in place, hardly showing any reaction. But when Alden reached over and touched him, he collapsed to the ground and fainted.When Dad came to in the hospital, his first instinct was to yank out the IV line. Alden quickly forced him back down.With a hollow laugh, Dad's eyes blazed with contempt. "This is the best she could manage? Pathetic. Are you part of this lie, too? Where's Jacob? Tell him to bring Lina back. Now!"Alden's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse as he muttered, "Ruth found one of Lina's hairs. We ran a DNA test… It matched. Jacob still refuses to believe it. He's rerun the test more than 40 times, but the results haven't changed."A heavy, suffocati

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 6

    The anniversary of Mom's death came around fast. Dad and Jacob took off early from the police station to visit her grave.Alden stopped Dad and asked, "You're still not letting Lina visit her mom this year?"Dad's face was unreadable. "She's the reason her mom's gone. How does she even have the nerve to show up?"Alden sighed and tried to reason with him, saying, "You're all part of the same family. That bond doesn't just disappear. There's no need to be that harsh."Jacob stood with one hand in his pocket, his expression indifferent. "Lina doesn't care. Carly called her, and she didn't even pick up. If she really wanted to join us, she would've shown up by now."I stood off to the side, my tears falling silently. I wanted to tell them that I wasn't staying away by choice. The truth was, I was already dead.I missed Mom more than anything. If I could, I would've traded my life for hers. But now, no matter how loudly I screamed, no one could hear me.I watched as Dad, Jacob, and

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 5

    Only the dead couldn't reveal the truth. Thanks to Dad's influence, Carly must have learned that lesson a long time ago. Perhaps her desire to kill me had been simmering for years before it finally emerged.But back then, I was foolish. I treated her like my little sister, mistaking her clinginess for real affection.I convinced myself that if I took the blame for the fire, our family's bonds might still heal. I thought we could become a true family, even though we weren't bound by blood. I was too naive.After Mom died, Dad grew colder with each passing day. He stopped calling me by name and began referring to me as "she". Even glancing my way at breakfast seemed like too much effort.If I showed up to the table a few minutes late, he'd slam his utensils down beside his plate and snarl, "You've got no manners! Who do you take after with that behavior?"Even Jacob didn't bother hiding his disgust. He used to be the one who spoiled me the most, but he had turned against me now.On

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 4

    I still remembered the year Carly was first brought home. Her past was so tragic that our entire family treated her like something precious. I was only six years old at the time.Dad told me, "She's your younger sister now. Protect her as you would protect your own eyes."I nodded firmly, making sure to engrave those words into my heart, one by one. Carly had been rescued from the ruins. Dad and Jacob had brought her back during one of their missions.She was the only survivor of a dying litter of rogue pups. Everyone called her resilient, saying she was a divine blessing—a pup favored by the Moon Goddess. I believed it, too.I cradled her close, comforted her, and protected her, never allowing anyone to mistreat her. In return, she clung to me desperately, insisting that I was her only haven and that I meant everything to her.One day, when Carly accidentally knocked over a candle and set the house on fire, she froze in terror.Shaking uncontrollably, she pressed herself against

  • A Birthday and a Burial   Chapter 3

    I was overwhelmed with regret and couldn't bring myself to leave, so I followed Dad and Jacob all the way home.When I entered, I saw Carly Rosen holding the beautifully crafted protection charm meant for pups. She happily threw herself into Dad's arms."Dad, did you fix this protection charm?" she asked.Dad wrapped his arms around her, his smile gentler than I'd ever seen. "I did. Do you like it?""I love it so much! Dad, you're the best! Jacob, can you help me put it on?"With that overly sweet smile, Carly had both Dad and Jacob wrapped around her finger. They settled on the couch together, watching her favorite show.Hovering in the air, I watched the scene, a sharp, twisting pain gripping my heart. I had begged Dad and Jacob to watch TV with me, but they never did.Just then, Carly tossed some popcorn into her mouth and asked, trying to sound casual, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Lina in a while. She hasn't been home lately. Should we check on her?"The air in the

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