Sia admiringly looked at her elder sister and gave her a thumbs up.
"Hehe, sis, I love that confidence of yours! Keep it up!"
Gloria rubbed Sia's head playfully, a smile on her face, though inwardly her heart was racing wildly with uncertainty.
"Don't let your brother-in-law hear that!"
"I won't trust me!"
"Anyway, when are you leaving? Do you need to pack?" Sia changed the topic, maintaining a smile on her face as they walked along the road.
Gloria took a deep breath as she scratched her head, lost in thought. After a while, she responded, "I am not sure. I will hear that from Simon. Besides, it's not like I am going away forever. I will just pack a few things!"
Sia pouted her lips when she heard that and jokingly said, "I love packing. It won't hurt to pack a few more. With your great talents, who knows when they will allow you to come back? You might as well pack a few more!"
Gloria flicked Sia's forehead when she said that and chided, "Are you cursing your elder sister?"
Sia stuck her tongue at Gloria before running away, giggling as she playfully called, "How can I curse you? You know I love you, right?" her antics made Gloria smile without restraints.
It was indeed great seeing this. She would miss it in the future. Who knows how long that lawless clan leader would keep her in his clan?
Gloria returned to the clan house and found Sia chatting merrily with John, though it was just one-sided.
She shook her head helplessly, wondering why Sia loved irking John like that. However, she didn't disturb the two but simply made her way to the bedroom, where she saw Simon going when she entered.
After suffering so many disasters, all the treasures that were used to decorate the house were long gone. The house now just looked like an ordinary house, with simple corridors and family pictures hanging on the walls.
The paintings, vases and the like. All were sold to support the clan. Perhaps one day they would return to that former glory, but in order to do so, she would have to pack first.
It didn't take long before she reached the main bedroom, pushed the handle open, and walked inside.
When she entered, she found him standing by the window, gazing outside. She didn't know what he was admiring, considering how ugly the scenery currently looked like. Except for the few gardens she was in charge of, the rest didn't look so well at all.
It used to be such a beautiful place in the woods before the disasters. The trees were luscious and the birds, crickets and other small animals were full of vigor, especially in the morning and at night.
She grew up at the clan house, surrounded by the woods and nature. She had always felt like she belonged. That's why she was very serious when it comes to her love for flora and gardening. With the clan mainly based on the farming and livestock business, it was more perfect for her.
So, what if she doesn't go to the company like the majority of the clan members? Taking care of gardens and ensuring that the clan's accounts were taken off, wasn't that something?
Anyway, the beautiful scenery which used to be so amazing when looking at was now gone. The green leaves were all on the ground, dry and the trees bare. They were like bald people. What was there to see now?
So, looking at Simon, she wondered what he was thinking as he looked at the scenery. It should be something good, right?
Unfortunately, she was not curious about his thoughts on that matter, as she had something else that was very important right now.
"How was the response?" she asked directly as soon as she came in.
Simon turned around, and that face she loved the most faced her. Her heart fluttered and she couldn't help but think about what Sia said.
Simon was a good catch, and there were probably a lot of women out there who wanted him. But as long as he doesn't waver, then it would be fine. She didn't need to worry about that. After all, they have been together for a long time. He wouldn't do that to her. He promised.
So, she quickly pushed aside such thoughts and smiled at him.
"Um, I talked to them and they said that umm …. They would come and pick you up later in the evening!" Simon's tone sounded distressed as he said that, and she felt as if someone was squeezing her heart.
Was that clan leader that impatient?
Couldn't he give her time to say proper goodbyes and spend time with her husband for a few days? How ruthless was he to separate a loving couple like that?
Seeing his pain, Gloria didn't dare utter that openly, fearing that she would only worsen his pain as well as hers. Since she had agreed, she plastered a forced smile on her face. "I guess that the sooner I go, the sooner I return!" she chuckled dryly as she looked away, tears threatening to fall.
"Um. I guess so!" his voice was very hoarse as he said that, and she wiped away the tears from her face without looking at him.
"I will miss you!"
"Me too. Take care of yourself when you are there!"
"And you too."
"Always remember that I love you and will always do!" he said as he approached her.
Gloria raised her head to look at him with reddened eyes. He was now standing in front of her and she didn't want to cry and mess the only time that they had with each other before they went separate ways.
"I know and I love you as well!" after all, he wouldn't have been with her for so many years, disregarding the elders who wanted him to find a Luna at least with a wolf since his fated mate was nowhere to be found.
Simon embraced her in his arms and kissed the top of her head, his hold very tight on her.
"If only I was powerful. I wouldn't let such a thing happen!"
Gloria's tears spilt down her cheeks, listening to that.
"I don't believe that their conditions are genuine. They might be trying to make us relax!" Simon suddenly said, his vigilance raised, and Gloria's brows furrowed when she heard that.
"What do you mean by that?" she was a bit confused and didn't understand what he was talking about.
A murderous glint flashed in Simon's eyes as he patted Gloria's back and he responded to her question. "You are my wife and this clan's matriarch. If you go to another clan to tend gardens, don't you think that what they are doing is kind of humiliating us? I think that they might be getting back at us for the past grievances!"
"What?!" Gloria exclaimed in shock when she heard that and her body trembled with anger at the thought of such a thing happening. "Can they do such a thing?"
Even though she had been tending gardens since she was little and was already used to that. Hearing him say that, she couldn't help but be furious.
"Tche…. They have the money and resources. What can they not do?" Simon gritted his teeth as he spat those words.
Gloria panicked when she heard that and her hatred for the Alpha she had never seen personally soared. "Then …. What should I do? I can't let them use me!"
Simon's lips curled upwards when he heard that, and that calculative gaze brightened briefly before his gaze turned grim. He separated himself from her and looked at her aggrievedly. "Dear, I don't want you to put yourself in danger. If anything happens to you, I don't know what I will do!" tears pooling in his eyes as he said so.
Gloria, seeing him like that, buried her head in his chest, tears streaming down her cheeks and wetting his shirt. Simon patted her back as he added, "We can't do anything rash. I really fear for your life and our future," his voice trembling as if he could foresee what the future would be like already.
"But …. I can't let them take advantage of us! Hubby, I will be careful. I will spy on them and report to you. That way, you will know what they think! What do you think?" she foolishly suggested as she raised her head to look imploringly at Simon, her eyes panicking.
Since she was already entering the tiger's den, she might as well pull its whiskers and see what she could get from doing that.
She couldn't let her people suffer injustice like that.