They Buried Me in the Desert. I Built Weapons for the Crown Chapter 01

They Buried Me in the Desert. I Built Weapons for the Crown Chapter 01

Twenty years ago, I spitefully applied to Alderforge Institute of Lycan Armaments.

I saw my family again at the celebration banquet of Sable Ridge Weapon Base.

Mother was still a famous healer in Lycan medicine.

Father stepped down as pack Alpha and became a Royal Council elder.

My brother took over Ashborne Pack.

The adopted daughter they once favored married her Alpha childhood sweetheart and became a Luna.

While I survived alone at Sable Ridge for ten years, black card was handed to me.

My brother.

“You did this to yourself.”

“Was it so hard to give your sister a little grace?”

I pushed it away and coughed.

Gideon frowned.

“We all know you’re sick.”

“Are you still playing this childish game with the family?”

I finally swallowed the words stuck in my throat and waved to the wolf guard nearby.

“Take care of him. I don’t know him.”

…

Gideon’s face darkened instantly, and he sneered.

“Iona Ashborne, who the hell do you think you are?”

“If Mom hadn’t used her connections to get you assigned to Sable Ridge back then, you never would’ve set foot here.”

“You’re a mere C-rank wolf, and you really think you’re something special?”

I looked at him, then at my mother, Dr. Octavia Voss-Ashborne, standing behind him, and at Seraphine, draped in a silk shawl the color of moonlight and looking fragile and helpless.

They thought I had no idea.

It had started twenty years ago, when I first arrived here.

My mentor took the hint from Ashborne Pack, claimed all my research as his own, and pushed me to the margins even in the lab.

I had broken down in agony more times than I could count, all thanks to this so-called family of mine.

Octavia stepped forward, her expression cold.

“Iona, as long as you agree to be tested as a donor match for Sera, Gideon will have you transferred back to Meridian Harbor immediately.”

“You’ll have full access to the medical resources and labs there.”

I couldn’t help laughing.

“So Ashborne blocked at least fifty of my transfer requests over the past twenty years, all so I’d be grateful enough to agree to donate bone marrow to her—your adopted daughter?”

Octavia frowned and shot back indignantly, “That was meant to toughen you up! No one gets anywhere without facing setbacks. We did it for your own good. You should be grateful!”

Seraphine’s eyes reddened, and tears spilled over almost instantly.

“Iona, I’m sorry. You got dragged into all this because I’m sick.”

She leaned against Gideon’s shoulder, breathing weakly.

Gideon slipped an arm around her protectively.

“Ashborne has funded $30 million in research at Sable Ridge this year.”

“One word from me and that funding disappears.”

“Then we’ll see how long you and your project team last out here.”

I looked at Gideon’s arrogant face and found him ridiculous.

“Go ahead and try.”

I met his gaze calmly without backing down an inch.

Gideon was so furious he laughed, then immediately made a call, his voice ice-cold.

“Cut off all future funding for Sable Ridge Armaments Base.”

“Yes. Not another cent.”

After he hung up, he looked down at me with open contempt.

“Iona, this is only the beginning.”

“Let’s see how many days you last out here without Ashborne’s money.”

With that, he helped Seraphine away.

The funding cut hit almost immediately, freezing the entire $30 million in partnership funding.

“Ms. Ashborne, we can’t even afford the moon-conductive targeting core for the next phase. What are we supposed to do?” My Beta was sweating with panic.

My colleagues at Sable Ridge gave me conflicted looks, convinced I had angered the sponsor and dragged the entire project down with me.

I patted my Beta on the shoulder, perfectly calm.

“Don’t panic. I need to go to RLARI.”

In an executive office at RLARI, I submitted a report on the funding shortfall.

Director Harlan Pierce read the report and sighed.

He then pulled out another yellowed document and handed it to me.

“Iona, the Crown will handle Ashborne Pack pulling its funding. Don’t worry.”

“But I think you have a right to see this file.”

I took it, puzzled, and my stomach dropped the moment I read what was written on it.