Lila’s POV
Jasper sat beside , his arm draped casually over the back of my chair in a protective gesture. He wasn’t looking at Derek; his gaze was fixed on , as if all the surrounding chaos ant nothing to him.
"Have you had enough to eat?" he whispered, leaning close to my ear. His warm breath tickled my skin.
I nodded, though I hadn’t actually eaten much. Revenge was imminent, but I didn’t feel the relief I’d expected. Instead, there was an indescribable emptiness inside .
"Let’s go," Jasper said, standing up and holding out his hand to . "It’s too noisy here. I’ll take you sowhere quiet."
I shook my head and gently pressed his hand down. "No, it’s fine. This is their celebration. As their guests, we should stay."
Jasper’s brow furrowed slightly. He was clearly unaccustod to this sort of primitive ruckus, but he obediently sat back down, only shifting even closer to .
Just then, the Great Elder pushed through the crowd and ca to stand before us. His face was exceptionally grave in the firelight. The gratitude in his eyes from before was gone, replaced by the profound resolve of a tribal elder.
"Goddess, Wolf King of the Hale family," he said, lowering his voice to a volu only the three of us could hear. "May I have a word with you in private?"
Jasper narrowed his eyes but stood up nonetheless. We followed the Great Elder through the boisterous crowd to a secluded spot behind a tent.
The cool night wind blew away the sll of alcohol on us. The Great Elder turned to face us. He didn’t speak. Instead, his knees suddenly buckled, and he dropped straight down before us!
"Great Elder!" I cried out, startled, and rushed to help him up.
But Jasper stopped . He looked coldly at the Great Elder kneeling on the ground, his voice calm. "Speak. What is it that’s worth such a grand gesture?"
The Great Elder looked up, his murky eyes glistening with tears and determination. "Goddess, Wolf King of the Hale family. I know this is a presumptuous request, but on behalf of the ancestors and spirits of the Sand Sea Tribe, I implore you... to hand Derek over to !"
"What do you an?" Jasper frowned.
"I want to execute that demon before the entire tribe at our ancestral altar!" The Great Elder’s voice trembled with emotion. "Only his blood can be a worthy offering to our fallen Wolf King and allow his spirit to rest in peace! Only by watching him die can our people truly let go of their hatred and allow the new, young king to establish his authority! Otherwise... otherwise, this tribe will forever live in the shadows of the past!"
His words landed on my heart like a heavy stone.
I fell silent. Executing Derek had been our goal from the very beginning. But now that the mont was truly here, proposed by soone else in such a bloody, ritualistic way, I felt a flicker of hesitation.
"Great Elder," I said, taking a deep breath, "according to our prior agreent, he is a public enemy of our people. We need to take him back to the United States and hand him over to the Hale family’s Elder Council for judgnt."
"Goddess, you are correct! But I have also heard," the Great Elder said with a bitter smile, "that his sches are endless and that he has escaped justice many tis. If you take him with you, the journey is long. What if he plays so trick and escapes? What if his accomplices show up and rescue him?"
His words hit upon a hidden worry of mine.
’Yes, what if?’
’Derek is a madman, but also a genius. He managed to escape from Black Water Town and hide in the depths of the desert. Who could guarantee he wouldn’t perform another miracle during the transport? If he got away, he would surely retaliate with even greater fervor. Then, not only us, but this tribe would also suffer.’
"Lila," Jasper suddenly spoke up. He had been listening quietly the whole ti. Now, he turned his head, his golden eyes exceptionally bright in the darkness. He gently took my hand, lacing our fingers together.
"Would you mind if we let them execute him here?" he asked, his tone so light it was as if he were casually discussing what to have for dinner.
I looked at him and shook my head. "I don’t mind... It’s just..."
"You just think it’s not ’civilized’ enough?" Jasper stroked my head. "Lila, actually, before we left, Great Elder Darius ca to see ."
I was surprised. Jasper hadn’t ntioned this at all. "Great Elder Darius... Derek is his son..."
"That’s right." Jasper gave a reassuring smile. "Darius privately authorized to execute Derek on the spot if necessary, without any regard for his own feelings. After all, Derek has brought imnse harm to the entire pack."
’His words ward my heart. I knew he was thinking of . He had seen through my worries, and he had seen the exhaustion that made want no more complications.’
I glanced one last ti in that direction. Although I couldn’t see the cage, I could imagine Derek trembling inside it right now.
I let out a long breath, as if a great weight had been lifted from my shoulders.
"Alright." I looked at Jasper, then at the Great Elder, and nodded. "Great Elder, I agree to your request. Derek will remain here, for you to deal with. I only hope... that you do it soon."
Hearing my words, the Great Elder trembled with excitent. He kowtowed deeply once more. "Thank you! Thank you, Goddess! Thank you, Wolf King of the Hale family! The Sand Sea Tribe will never, ever forget your kindness..."
"That’s enough," Jasper interrupted impatiently. "Stop kowtowing. Rember what you said and handle it quickly. I don’t want to spend another second here."
"Yes! Yes! Tomorrow! At the altar, first thing in the morning!"
The Great Elder withdrew, full of gratitude. In the night wind, only Jasper and I remained.
I leaned into Jasper’s embrace, listening to his steady heartbeat and feeling the vibrations from his chest.
"My Priest, what are you thinking about?" he asked softly, stroking my hair.
I closed my eyes, several thoughts drifting through my mind. "Even though Derek’s fate is sealed, it feels like there are still so mysteries left unsolved. For instance, the relationship between my uncle and my mother..."
"We’ll leave after Derek’s execution tomorrow," Jasper said, holding tighter. "Let’s relax and rest for a few days first, then we can unravel those mysteries together."
"Where are we going next?"
"You’ll know when we get there." He smiled and kissed the top of my head. "I’ve already planned everything for our honeymoon trip."
「The next morning.」
A solemn and oppressive atmosphere perated the tribe’s air.
In stark contrast to last night’s revelry, the Sand Sea Tribe was cloaked in a dignified silence today. All the tents were adorned with black strips of cloth symbolizing mourning. Children were strictly forbidden from playing, the won had changed into plain-colored robes, and the n, holding spears, stood in solemn formation along the path to the altar.
This was the tradition of the Desert Werewolves—the judgnt of traitors and murderers had to be carried out in the most public, most bloody manner possible, under the watchful eyes of their ancestors, so as to appease the dead and intimidate the living.
Jasper and I woke up very early. Kael ca to get us himself. Today, he wore a suit of black battle armor, his face painted with ancient totemic oils. He looked majestic and exuded the grim aura of a warrior.
"Goddess, Wolf King of the Hale family," Kael’s voice was deep and respectful. "The elders are already waiting at the altar. The ceremony can begin."
Jasper was helping adjust my collar. Hearing this, his hands paused for a mont, and he turned to ask , "Are you ready?"
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