Chapter 1
When I received my mate’s critical illness notice, his Beta and Gamma forced me to agree to let him hold a maring ceremony with another she–wolf
“He’s got two months at most. He broke four ribs and lost a kidney saving you back then, and his wolf tail is crippled too. Without him, your pack would’ve gone bankrupt ages agor
“You love him to the bone. Won’t you help him fulfill his dying wish? |
My fingers curled slightly, throat tightening as I looked at my mate with desperate hope, praying he’d object]
“I abandoned her for you back then. Even if you agree to let me hold a mating ceremony with her now, she won’t say yes. But my mate’s voice dripped with disappointment and regret
1 knew the truth. He wanted to leave with the she wolf he truly loved, but didn’t want the shame of cheating on his record. So he’d cooked up this elaborate scheme of faking terminal illness to deceive me.]]
I’d actually believed he was dying. I’d spent a fortune personally visiting healers from every pack, hunting down rare healing potions. If I hadn’t accidentally overheard him spilling the truth to his Bets and Gamma, I would’ve stayed fooled until my dying day
Turns out I was the only one being played.
Since he was so desperate to hold a mating ceremony with his lover. I’d grant his wish. After all, from the moment I learned the truth, I’d decided to stop loving him
But that wasn’t all. I was taking his inheritance and marrying his sworn enemy
So I walked away without a backward glance and dialed the Alpha King of the largest pack–a hockey captain who’d won countless gold medals in the human world.
“It’s me. I agree to the alliance marriage.“||
“Tine. I agree.” I forced a smile, my face turning deathly pale in an instant.
Everyone’s faces lit up with joy, especially Roman White. A light I hadn’t seen in ages flickered in his eyes
“But I have one condition. I spoke again.]]
Ronan looked at me, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly. “What?”
“I want the Judith Pack shares you’re holding.”
“Yes! We’ll agree for Roman! Not just shares–whatever you want, we’ll scrape it together! As long as Ronan’s happy!”
Ronar’s Beta and Gamma readily agreed. “As long as you can make Wendy willingly marry Romanti
Hooked at Ronan. After a
“Roman, just say yes!”
all, only his word counted.
“Tine.” Ronan nodded after a moment’s thought
resolve
“I’ll make her agree to spend your final days with you.” I steeled my resol
I knew Ronan had once promised to fulfill many wishes for Wendy. He’d even made a list. But after he agreed to marry me, our engagement had broken Wendy’s heart, and Ronan never got the chance to do most of those things for her.
Now, it seemed these wishes had become my tasks.]
First, I had to give Wendy the latest jewelry from ten luxury brands.
Second, I had to paint Wendy a hundred different portraits, each infused with werewolf magic ||
Third. I had to personally collect three thousand bottles of blessed luck potion from the witch’s lair, praying to the Moon Goddess for Wendy’s Lifelong health and safety
..0
The final task–1 had to apologize to Wendy
y brother,
Wendy was the daughter of an omega nanny from my family’s Judith Pack. She’d been scheming since childhood. After failing to seduce my b she’d set her sights on my future mate: Ronan
My mother–the Luna of Judith Pack–had finally had enough and handshed Wendy from our territory.
Now, Wendy wanted me to kneel before everyone and apologize on behalf of Judith Pack
I dropped to my knees with a thud, looking up at her. “Wendy, I’m sorry. Everything in the past was Judith Pack’s fault. Please forgive me and stay with Ronan through his final moments.“|||
“That’s it? Your apology lacks sincerity.” Wendy spread her hands, and I could almost see her well tail wagging with malicious glee. “Your love for Roman is just that shallow.”
“Then what do you want?
“Aria, have you forgotten what happened when I was banished from Judith Pack?” Wendy bent down, her innocent face hiding viciousness and venom
My body trembled as I frowned at her, my gaze inadvertently catching Ronan behind her
His eyes burned with passion, his love for Wendy impossible to hide
1 lowered my gaze, pain blooming in my chest. Just endure a little longer. This would all be over soon
I looked up again and slapped myself hard across the face, shouting, “Tm sorry I’m disgusting! I’m a worthless bitch“]
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Someone pulled out their phone, recording and uploading to the werewolf network Camera flashes stabbed at my eyes]
I hit my lip hard, refusing to let tears fall
“Aria if you hadn’t threatened suicide to force Ronan to marry you, we would’ve been together long ago! You destroyed Ronan! You made him sick with heartbreak and gave him cancer! Why aren’t you the one dying?!” Wendy twisted the facts, her accusations piercing. Her tears came on command, crying like a wounded flower
“So I’m begging you to spend his final days with him.” I said through gritted teeth
The watching werewolves were whipped into a frenzy, hurling insults at me.
“What a bitch. She deserves to die.“]
“What good is slapping herself? She should kill herself in atonement! Even the Moon Goddess wouldn’t accept such a filthy soul!”
*I hate bullies like this the most! just die already.
Someone threw a glass vial at me, smashing it against my forehead. I swayed and collapsed to the ground.
More bottles and stones rained down on me, leaving me dizzy and bloodied, my wounds raw and mangled []
My heart clenched in agony. Tears mixed with blood flowed into my mouth–bitter and metallic. My wolf howled weakly within me, my own]]
her
pain matching
Ronan and I had grown up together. He’d once risked everything to protect me in an accident, making me mistake his actions for love.]
From then on, I’d followed him everywhere, my heart and eyes full of nothing but him. Even though I’d never felt a mate bond between us, I’d willingly wanted to become his Luna
To marry Ronan, I’d rejected an alliance marriage with the most powerful pack in the werewolf world–the young Alpha King of Lanchester Pack This had so enraged my mother that she’d been hospitalized and eventually died.]
Id even actively given him Judith Pack shares as a stepping stone to help him compete for White Pack’s future inheritance]
Bonan had never said he didn’t want to hold a mating ceremony with me, so I’d always thought. Wendy was the one chasing him
I never knew they loved each other so deeply
unrequitedly
Looking back now, all the signs had been there–Ronan’s coldness and indifference toward me, his monthly business trips, the study he never let me enter…
I’d just been too stupid to see through |
I don’t know how long it lasted. Only when I was mumb with pain, curled motionless on the ground, did they finally stop
I tried to get up, wobbling, only to see Wendy already nestled in Ronan’s arins, smugly raising her eyebrows at me
“Stupid she wolf” Wendy taunted]
A smile spread across Ronan’s bloodless face. “Yes, Wendy’s right.”
“Ronan, let’s go. I’m hungry.”
“Alright – Ronan walked away with Wendy in his arms
From beginning to end, he never looked at me unce
I watched his figure disappear into the distance, and somehow my heart didn’t hurt as much anymore.
Now I just had to wait for him to “die” in a month. Then I could take what belonged to me and leave this place, fulfilling my mother’s wish–the Luna of Judith Pack’s final destre–to marry into Lanchester Pack
I staggered to my feet, but suddenly everything went black. I collapsed headfirst onto the ground.
