Warily, Isolde rose to her feet and prepared to escape. However, she was surprised by the sudden change of tone in Leland's tone.
"Isolde, come out," Leland spoke flatly. He held back his emotions and focused on the reason why he was here: to get the antidote for his mate.
If violence didn't work, he would have to try other ways. Even though he was a really proud man, he was not beneath begging if it meant he could make sure Sophie was saved.
"What do you want?" Isolde opened the door and sharpened her gaze at him.
"I need the cure for my mate," Leland's voice was strained. "That is all that I'm asking for… mother. Can't you at least just give it to me? I will not lay a finger on you or contest your decisions as long as you give it to me."
Isolde scrunched up her nose in disgust. She hated weak people the most. For her, this was a new low, coming from Leland.
Half of her was happy to see her son was broken and finally came to her with his tail between his legs, thinking she could take pity on his situation if he begged. However, another half was disappointed and disgusted. A man, especially an Alpha should never lower themselves to anyone. It got worse if he lower himself for the sake of other people.
Isolde gritted her teeth. Alpha Leon was ruthless, tough, proud, and would rather kill and be killed than beg anyone for help. He had his pride and Isolde loved him for it.
However… this son of hers… ugh. Isolde was so ashamed that she had given birth to this man before her.
Leland was becoming more and more corrupted with Anne's daughter around him.
"Is this not enough for you already, Isolde?" Leland's eyes glittered with tears.
He looked at his mother with a pleading look. Violence didn't work. Perhaps, if he tried to move Isolde's heart she would relent? He was willing to try anything to save Sophie.
The man sighed and continued. "All I ever wanted to be was to be happy. Haven't I proven myself to you already and been your obedient son? Won't you allow me to be happy even once?"
Oh, this was the moment that Isolde had been waiting for all her life. It was satisfying to see that this arrogant lycan who only existed because of her was now grueling for her compassion.
Unfortunately, she did not have the antidote.
Witch Eloise was too crafty to give her any sort of cure and even if Isolde actually had the cure, she would also not just give it up to Leland because she couldn't trust in baseless promises.
Who could trust someone like Leland?
This man was once again twisted by the affections of someone else. First, it had been Anne herself, Leland's so-called replacement mother, and now with that woman gone, Leland turned to Sophia next.
Isolde saw Leland as nothing more but a weak man when it came to love.
As long as Anne's daughter was alive, her unfilial son would continue to threaten the pack's true goals in exchange for playing house with that wench.
More than that, this was a tricky situation too.
If Isolde happened to have the antidote, it would just go to show that she was the one who was behind this incident. So even as Leland continued to beg with tears in his eyes, Isolde's face was cold.
Did Leland really expect Isolde to fall for that act?
Isolde Salazar shook her head disappointedly. "In your focus for your own happiness, you never once thought of me or the pack, haven't you? Perhaps this situation is a chance for you to get your priorities straight. She doesn't fit to be the Luna of this pack. She doesn't even shift!"
Leland's fists tightened. He could accept his mother's insult or demeaning words. He was used to it. However, he couldn't allow Sophie to be targeted by his mother's poisonous tongue. "Isolde, you can insult me, but do not insult the fact that I have chosen Sophia as my mate. She is leagues better than you."
Isolde gritted her teeth.
She knew she had overstepped a little by saying those words. However, she also knew how to pick her battles and so attempted to salvage the situation by answering the poor lycan at last.
"Let me say it to you for one last time, Leland." Isolde smiled thinly. "I do not have the antidote with me at all. You are free to go through my belongings and check, but you will find no evidence against me, and neither will you find any cure. Give it up while you can. What happened to her might be a curse from the moon goddess to give you warning for not choosing the lycan tribes over a human like her."
Leland immediately darted past Isolde and went for her room. He started to upturn everything and even went through her bag like a poor restrained puppy finally let loose.
Isolde saw the Alpha destroying some items with how fast he was going through her belongings, all in hopes for something called a cure. Before she knew it, Leland was finally done.
A wild goose chase for a cure.
"See?" Isolde sneered at him. "I told you that I am innocent and don't have the antidote with me. Do you finally believe me? Of course, you won't, but what matters is that I cannot save your mate."
"No…" Leland raised his head and met his mother's gaze sadly. "You were supposed to have it. You would have used that cure as an edge against me and I would have done everything to obtain it from you."
That sweet and delicious look of despair on Leland's face was etched in Isolde's memory. He held Isolde's ruined bag in his hands hopelessly because even after he went through all of them, he found absolutely nothing useful.
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