Wendy's POV

When I opened my eyes again, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the room with a stark brightness that made me squint.

The bed beside me was empty, the man long gone. Yet, the faint scent of cedarwood and musk, so distinctively his, lingered in the air.

Everything felt like a dream, but the ache in my body told me all of it had been real.

I drew in a sharp breath just as the door opened from the outside.

Cassie sounded a little disappointed. “Looks like he left.”

“That’s a good thing,” I replied.

The fact that he left without a word stung more than I cared to admit. If he truly cared, he would’ve waited for us to wake up, would’ve held me, kissed me, like a true mate. Instead, he left without saying anything. It left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Maybe he’s just a busy man," Cassie ventured, trying to defend him.

I allowed a sarcastic chuckle to escape my lips. "Sure. Maybe he has a long list of women to console, so his mate doesn’t rank high on his priorities." My words dripped with mockery, but the bitterness underneath stung even me.

Two maids arrived to help me bathe and change into a fine, high-quality dress.

After breakfast, one of them handed me an envelope. “This is from the Alpha,” she said.

"The Alpha?" I repeated, the word catching in my throat.

The maid smiled and nodded. “Yes.”

I’d suspected the man was wealthy. He lived in a mansion, after all, but I hadn’t expected him to be an Alpha.

Cassie was thrilled. My mate was not only powerful but also an Alpha.

But I couldn’t feel the same excitement. I hated living in a pack.

My father, also an Alpha, died in a pack war. After that, my brother and I escaped into the human world. We were taken in by a kind human couple. After our adoptive father died unexpectedly, my brother chose to join the Riftwind Pack to support us with a higher income.

During a mission, he was captured by the Moonlake Pack while helping his comrades break through enemy lines. He has been missing for three years.

The thought made my body tremble. My chest tightened with sorrow.

My brother and I were very close. He could always read my emotions. He taught me how to fight, calling me the most fearless girl he knew. When our pack was overrun, he sacrificed everything to ensure I escaped.

In the human world, it was him who encouraged me to embrace friendships, to go to school, bearing the weight of my tuition on his own shoulders. Even in the bleakest moments, he found ways to make me smile, to help me forget the nightmares of our decimated pack.

He had been the best brother anyone could ask for, and now he was simply gone. I hadn’t seen him in three years.

Now that I had awakened my wolf, I wanted to search for him.

I didn’t stay in the mansion waiting for the man to return. I chose to slip away quietly. Avoiding everyone’s eyes, I ran into the forest. None of the Omegas noticed my absence.

As I ran, I told Cassie, “I won’t fall in love with that man. He doesn't interest me. I already have someone I care about.”

"You should reject him if that’s truly how you feel," she said evenly. "Instead, you gave yourself to him. Just admit it, Wendy. You’re drawn to him."

"Cassie!"

I tried to argue, but my face was burning. Against my will, my mind drifted back to last night, how it felt to be with him. Even though I hadn’t seen his face clearly, I could tell he was strong. His muscles were firm and powerful.

I shook my head fiercely, trying to dispel the memory like an unwelcome specter.

What a ridiculous night.

When I arrived at the restaurant where I worked, I shoved the envelope into my locker without opening it. I didn’t check it even after my shift ended.

Melina hadn’t returned yet, so I started preparing dinner in the kitchen. Soon, my sister Nelly came home. I greeted her with a smile.

Cassie longed for our mate, but I avoided the topic. Disheartened, she fell silent and went to bed early.

When Melina finally came home, I hugged her tightly.

I thought things would go back to normal. That I could quietly plan how to sneak into the Moonlake Pack and find my brother.

However, three days later, I was fired from the restaurant. No matter how I pleaded or explained, they still showed me the door. That was all because of a ridiculous complaint that I hadn’t refilled a glass of juice that was still half full.

Back home, Melina told me she had also been let go.

She looked devastated, wiping away tears. The job didn’t pay much, but it kept our lives afloat. Now everything was falling apart.

I wrapped my arms around her. “It’s okay, Mom. Things will get better.”

Melina wiped at her eyes, her voice trembling. “Maybe we offended someone powerful. Maybe they’re the reason everything’s falling apart. What if next month there’s no food in the fridge? What if the police show up because we can’t pay the bills?”

“Don’t say that, Mom. You need to rest. I’ll find a new job as soon as I can.”

She had worked that job for over ten years. Now that age was catching up to her, I could see the fear she didn’t say out loud.

I had to make sure her worst fears never came true. I needed to find a new job as soon as possible.

I watched her disappear up the stairs. Then my phone buzzed.

When I looked down, a chill ran through me. It was a threat, plain and deliberate.

A: [If you don't want your sister expelled, come see me. This is just a small taste of what could happen.]

At first, I frowned but didn’t think much of it. Maybe it was just a prank.

That night, Nelly came home crying and rushed into her room, locking the door behind her.

I knocked for a long time before she finally opened. I kept my voice low since Melina had just fallen asleep, and at her age, she couldn’t handle too much worry. I was genuinely concerned about her.

When I finally saw Nelly, she threw herself into my arms, sobbing.

“They told me I’m expelled, but I didn’t do anything wrong.”

That message flashed through my mind again. After calming her down, I went back to my room, heart pounding, and sent a desperate text.

Wendy: [Who are you?]

The reply came almost immediately.

A: [Have you already forgotten me? How heartless you are.]

It was the man from that night.

The realization hit me like ice water. He had been digging through my life in the human world, probing where he didn’t belong.

Damn him.

Suddenly, I remembered the envelope I had nearly forgotten and pulled it from my bag.

Inside was a keycard and an address. A short note scrawled on the crisp stationery made my stomach turn.

"If you want to see me, come to the following address."

—Henry

Anger surged through me. What a bastard!

I didn’t even know what he looked like since I had forgotten, but he shared the same name as the Alpha of the Moonlake Pack. That made me hate him even more.

And now he was targeting my family in the human world. I couldn’t stand it.

I hailed a taxi in a fury and sped to the address. But the guards, wolves to their cores, blocked my path without hesitation.

I was forced to wait outside.

Then a silver sports car pulled up, and the man inside stepped out, removing his sunglasses as he looked me over with amused interest.

His sharp jaw, perfectly styled auburn hair, and piercing cobalt eyes seemed carved from marble. The open buttons of his light blue shirt revealed a glimpse of sinewy strength, and his smile was laced with amused arrogance.

I stood frozen in place.

How did I not see it?

Henry wasn’t just anyone. He was the Alpha of the Moonlake Pack!

The man standing before me was part of the pack that had taken my brother.