---- She came to see me in the infirmary, when my wolf was already too frail to move-barely able to whimper, let alone roar. She'd hugged me tightly and cried like a sister. Her voice trembled. "Lycan King... what was Kendra to you? How do you two know each other?" Shawn's eyes narrowed. "Sounds like you knew her well." Emily clutched her wine glass, but her trembling hands gave her away. Shawn's frown deepened. Kelvin grew impatient, clearly hoping to please the king. "Emily, don't keep the Lycan King in suspense. If he's asking about her, just have her come over. I'll send a car immediately." But Emily's voice cracked as she cut him off. ---- "She... she can't come." Kelvin frowned. "What do you mean? Is she mid- flight?" Shawn's brow furrowed further. A trace of irritation surfaced. Kelvin looked around, lost for words. Emily took a deep breath. "She resigned... a year ago." A pause. Shawn's eyes sharpened, then calmed. "She did? Do you know where she went afterward? " Emily's eyes turned glassy. She slowly shook her head. "She didn't go anywhere... She passed away. It was the silver poison. It had metastasized. ---- She died... on July 2nd of last year." "What?!" Crash! Awine glass shattered against the marble floor. All eyes turned toward them. I stared at Shawn in shock. He completely lost control-grabbing Emily by the shoulders, his eyes wide, unblinking. "You're joking, right? You think this is funny? Do you have any idea how many lives it would cost to lie to me?!" Emily winced in pain but didn't pull away. She didn't retract a single word. Instead, something seemed to click in her mind. "She... she kept murmuring someone's name near the end. 'Sha... Sha... something with S-H...' ---- So all this time, she was thinking of you?" "What?" Shawn released her instantly. He stumbled back two steps- As if struck by lightning.