Chapter 400
400
Third Person’s POV
Ulrik’s eyes were as cold as ice as he said, “I wish you could tell me that you didn’t do those things in Snowdeer Town.”
Free Coms
Velda sneered, “You despise me because of Snowdeer Town incident? No, you’re disgusted that I was captured on the mountain, that I was disfigured, thinking me tainted. But let me make this clear: I am innocent.”
Ulrik shook his head. “What happened on the mountain, I feel pity for you, which is why I endured the punishments for you. What I can’t accept is what you did in Snowdeer.”
“Stop deluding yourself, won’t t
Velda still sneered. “Do you truly believe I was wrong for what I did in Snowdeer?”
“Aren’t you aware of your own wrongdoing?”
Ulrik took a deep breath. “Have you still not realized you were wrong?”
Velda was unveiled, the lamplight casting her face–half normal, half grotesque.
Her eyes blazed with naked ambition. “Ulrik, it’s not just you who dreams of achievement. I, too, aspire to greatness. As the kingdom’s first female werewolf general, even Adelaide’s accomplishments on the southern border can’t supplant my position.”
“I carved out this status in Snowdeer. Without those actions, how could I have secured my standing?”
The light made her disfigured half even more horrifying. “Do you think those werewolf generals have never committed cruel acts? None who survive the battlefield are the least bit soft–hearted.”
“Young Alpha Bentley rose to power at a tender age. Do you honestly believe it was solely due to his bravery in battle? No, there are dark dealings behind it all, the extent of which you and I will never truly know.”
“Foolish as ever, you think to earn military glory with your life–yet even if you die trying, you’ll never become Tad.”
Ulrik shook his head. “I don’t believe that.”
Velda sneered. “Don’t be stubborn. You know full well why Tad could replace Alpha Lance. Was it because of his abilities? No, it was because of his ancestors‘ legacy. He basks in the glory of his forebears.”
“All I want is for us to attain higher positions and honors, so our descendants might benefit. If we can rise to the upper echelons of society, our children could have the opportunities that Adelaide and Tad enjoy- achieving everything with minimal effort.”
Ulrik gazed into the flame in her eyes–a flame fueled by ambition and hatred.
Once again, he felt he had never truly known Velda.
1/2
400
Free Calls
He looked at her and said slowly. “You once told me that the status of she wolves is too low. You see women around the world wasting away in domestic trivialities and childbirth, finding their lives both pitiable and tragic. You said you wanted to succeed to elevate the status of she–wolves, to prevent therm from being bullied so easily.”
Velda countered, “Why is there a conflict between these two goals? I want to succeed so that try descendants may prosper, and I also hope my success can uplift the status of she wolves. There’s no contradiction here. I can’t sacrifice myself for others, can I? If I help them, I should reap some reward too. Is that wrong?”
She braced her hands on the table, pressing forward. “Tell me, Ulrik, am I wrong to think this way? Am I in the wrong?”
Faced with her relentless assault, Ulrik wavered for a moment and instinctively shook his head. “You’re not wrong.”
“If I’m not wrong, then is it fair for you to distance yourself from me over Snowdeer Town incident? It all comes down to my capture and disfigurement, doesn’t it? You think me tainted.”
Ulrik broke free from her line of reasoning and said gravely, “Your desire for success doesn’t justify the slaughter of civilians.”
A flash of coldness crossed Velda’s eyes. “Those were Western Tribe werewolves, not our people!”
“Even so, they were civilians. We had an agreement not to harm them–a promise from the powerful to the people, beneficial to the citizens of both nations. Yet you massacred them. Did you never consider that our Bloodscar civilians might suffer the same fate?”
Velda snorted, her eyes brimming with scorn. “You actually ask such a question, Ulrik. You’re not cut out for the battlefield. Your heart’s too soft, your actions indecisive. Without me, where would your honors be?”
“Even before Alpha Zander, when you sought troops to burn the Snowdeer Town granaries, it was my strong persuasion that swayed you. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even have that merit.”
“Speechless now, aren’t you?”
Velda laughed, as if finally vindicated, and launched into a tirade. “Ulrik, I’ve sacrificed so much for you. What have you done for me? When I was at the peak of my popularity, I chose to mate with you as a breeder, stood by you in your darkest times, yet after dissolving our mating bond, you swiftly mated with Gloria.”
“You think you’ve wronged Adelaide? No, you’ve wronged me.”
Her words were soft but carried immense resentment, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“I planned everything for our future. What did Adelaide plan for you? After you marked me, she turned her back on you, secured an order to dissolve your mating bond, and left you heartlessly. Yet you still cling to her goodness?”
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401