Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
Right after the heat of our Mate Ceremony night, Alpha James cupped my face in his hands.
"There's something I need to tell you," he whispered.
I hummed lazily, leaning into his touch.
"I can't mark you. I already marked someone else years ago."
I froze. My nails dug straight into my palms.
"Who?"
"An arranged match from my parents. An Alpha's daughter. She's wolfless, Emily. You know what that means in our world." He sat up, looking down at me with deep affection. "You're the one who truly matters to me. But she can't survive without my protection. I can't just abandon her."
"Why are you crying?" A frown creased his forehead, genuine confusion in his eyes. "We had the ceremony. You wear my token. Everyone in the pack sees you as my chosen Luna. Is a bite mark really that important?"
I took half a step back until my spine hit the cold bedroom wall.
"We're done, James."
He paused, then let out a low chuckle. "Stop talking nonsense."
"Then reject her. Break your mate bond with her," I demanded.
Silence fell over the room. After a long pause, James finally spoke. "She took care of my parents for seven years. Even if she's just a duty, she earned her place. I won't be a dishonorable coward."
*Seven years.*
I calculated the timeline, and a wave of pure nausea hit my stomach.
Seven years ago, we had just finished our warrior trials. He was moving from the training barracks into the Alpha Manor, and I was helping him pack. Back then, he took a urgent Mind Link, stepped out onto the balcony, and returned saying it was routine pack business. I believed him.
In reality, it was the summons for his marking ceremony. His partner was the Crimson Pack Alpha's daughter—a wolfless girl.
"Don't look at me like that." He stepped closer, reaching out to wrap an arm around my shoulder. "There's nothing between us. It's just a title on paper. We've been together for ten years. How could she ever compare to you?"
I shoved his hand away, the sickness clawing up my throat.
His face hardened. "Emily, be reasonable. Throwing away ten years over a formal mark? How are you going to explain this to your parents? What about all our plans?"
The door clicked shut behind him, soft as a sigh.
I dropped to my knees by the toilet, dry-heaving until tears blurred my vision.
At three in the morning, I dragged my suitcase from the closet and shoved my clothes inside in a frantic mess.
My phone screen lit up.
His mother had posted a photo on Instagram: *[Steak dinner made by my sweet daughter-in-law. Delicious.]*
The photo showed an elegant dining table set with silverware. In the top-right corner, a familiar cuff appeared.
I recognized that watch. It was the very first gift I ever bought him, paid for with three months of my saved rations.
Earlier today, he told me he had an official dinner with allied pack envoys.
I tapped the like button, then unliked it a second later.
His mother had no idea that the like came from the secret lover her son had hidden away for seven years.
At 3:17 AM, I stood in the elevator, watching the floor numbers tick down.
When the doors slid open, cold wind whipped against my skin. Only then did I realize I was wearing nothing but a thin knit sweater.
My phone buzzed.
*Dad.*
I stared at the name for a long time before swiping to answer.
"Emily?" My father's voice was gentle. "James called. Did you two have a fight?"
I kept quiet.
"He's been so good to you all these years. Your mother and I have seen it all. Tell me, has he ever wronged you?"
*Wronged me?*
I thought back. No, outwardly, he never had.
The year a rogue bit me, he carried me on his back all the way to the pack clinic. He tripped along the gravel road, skinning his knees, blood soaking through his jeans. By the time my parents arrived, he had already bandaged himself and was limping around the kitchen, brewing healing herbs for me.
When he first took over as Alpha, things were chaotic. He went three straight days without sleep and still ran into border skirmishes. He sat on the council steps all night, coming home only at dawn. The first thing he did was take a shower, then push his damp hair against my neck: *"Smell this. Nice, right? New body wash."*
Only later did I learn he was terrified of me smelling the rogue blood on him.
He was good to me.
Yet he was already another woman's marked mate. A woman without a wolf who couldn't survive without him—so he refused to leave her.
"Emily? Are you listening?"
"Yeah."
"I need to tell you something."
"Dad, I have something to tell you too."
The words sat on the tip of my tongue, but I swallowed them down.
What could I say? That their daughter had been lied to for a decade? That their prospective son-in-law had claimed another woman seven years ago?"Your mother was ambushed by rogues on patrol a few days ago. Silver poisoning. It's bad."
My father's voice sounded eerily calm, as if he were discussing a grocery run. "The Healer said she needs complete rest. Any emotional shock will mess with the detox."
"Emily, I know you two have your own issues, but the family needs peace right now. You know your mother's temper..."
The rest of his words faded into static.
I didn't even notice when the rain started falling.
By the time I came back to my senses, my hair was plastered to my cheeks, cold water dripping from my chin.
"Emily!"
An umbrella snapped open over my head.
James stood in the downpour, his dress shirt soaked through. He grabbed my wrist tightly, his fingers trembling.
"Get in the car. Whatever it is, we'll talk at home."
"That Instagram post... I let it happen because I was mad at you."
"I never wanted to end things with us. I swear."
He tossed my suitcase into the trunk and yanked open the passenger door.
"I'll deal with the mate bond with Jessica. Just give me some time, okay?"
"Your dad told me about your mom. I know the best Healer in the northern packs. I'll call him tomorrow."
I sat in the passenger seat, staring straight ahead.
A faint, unfamiliar floral perfume lingered in the vents. On the collar of his shirt remained the lingering trace of Jessica's scent.
I tilted my head, watching the wipers sweep back and forth across the windshield.
He kept talking, but I tuned it out.
The rain grew heavier. Outside, the neon city lights smeared through the storm, blurring red, green, and yellow into a dull haze.
I stayed at the clinic by my mother's side for two weeks.
James never complained once. He took care of everything. He brought in the specialist, reviewed the herbal detox formulas, and even secured a private, sunlit recovery room. He understood my mother's vitals better than I did.
At night, he sat with me on the hallway bench. When exhaustion hit, he rested his head against the wall, his brow furrowed in his sleep, but his hand never letting go of mine.
When my mother had good days, she held his hand. "James, Emily is stubborn. Be patient with her."
He smiled warmly, tucking the blanket around her. "Mrs. Clark, I'm the lucky one."
My mother looked over at me, relief shining in her eyes.
I gave a tight nod. But the stone in my chest only grew heavier with every passing day.
One afternoon, pack duties called him away.
I carried a thermal flask of soup down the corridor toward the recovery room. Pushing the door open, I stopped dead in my tracks.
A stranger sat by my mother's bed.
The caregiver had been swapped out.
She wore a pale blue nursing uniform, peeling a detox berry with her head lowered. The Crimson Pack Alpha's daughter—I had seen her face on James's phone.
Sunlight filtered through the blinds. She glanced up and smiled gently at my mother.
"My mate... he's not a bad man," she said softly. "He's just too soft-hearted. Some she-wolf outside keeps clinging to him, and he claims he's afraid of breaking her heart, so he won't cut her off."
My mother sighed from the bed. "Must be hard on you."
Jessica handed her the peeled fruit. "It is. Whenever my chest feels tight, I volunteer at the clinic to clear my head."
My mother's voice turned sour. "If you ask me, those shameless women who try to steal another wolf's mate have no decency at all."
I stood frozen in the doorway, the thermal flask suddenly weighing a ton.
My mother waved at me. "Emily, you're here?"
"This young woman is so sweet, but her life has been tough. You wouldn't believe what her mate put her through..."
"Mom, I brought oatmeal." I set the flask on the nightstand, then turned to the woman in blue. "Can we talk outside?"At the far end of the hallway, a window stood open, letting the cool breeze scatter the sharp smell of antiseptic.
"Did you say all that on purpose to my mother?"
She leaned against the wall, the gentle facade peeling away instantly. "I was talking about my own life. Does that bother you?"
"This is between us," I said, keeping my voice low. "Leave my mother out of it."
"Between us?" She scoffed, her eyes flashing with pure spite. "Emily, you've been a dirty little secret for seven years. Now you want to talk about *us*? I might be wolfless, but I'm an Alpha's daughter. Who are you? How do you even compare to me?"
My fists clenched.
"Do you really think he'll ever mark you?" she sneered. "He's stringing you along. Playing both sides. And your mother's silver poisoning... who knows if she'll even survive? At her age, with her weak heart, one slip-up and she's gone..."
The slap cracked across the hall before I even realized my hand had moved.
My palm burned. She stumbled back, clutching her cheek. But before she could scream, heavy footsteps broke the silence.
"Emily!"
James rushed forward, pulling her behind him and grabbing my wrist.
"Have you lost your mind?"
Jessica hid behind his back, tears spilling instantly. "James... I just wanted to help. Mrs. Clark was alone... I don't know why Emily got so mad, I didn't say anything..."
I stared at James. "Ask her what she said."
He frowned, looking between me and Jessica's swollen cheek. "What could she have said? Emily, no matter what, hitting her is wrong. When did you become like this?"
A bitter laugh escaped my throat, tears stinging my eyes. "When did I become like this? James, you're the one who—"
"Enough." He cut me off, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and steering her toward the stairs. "I'm taking her home. Cool off, and think about what you did today."
That night at 11:40 PM, bad news arrived.
The specialist Healer had been abruptly reassigned. No explanation given.
I stood by the doorway, gripping my phone, when hushed voices drifted down the hall.
"...That's her. Kept as a side-piece for seven years."
"Seriously? She looks so decent."
"You never know. The real Luna showed up right at the clinic."
I stood there, frozen.
The next morning, the rumors reached my mother's ears.
Pale and trembling, she leaned against her pillows. "Emily... tell Mom the truth."
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out.
Suddenly, she clutched her chest, collapsing sideways.
My father burst in from the hall, scrambling to catch her. An apprentice Healer rushed inside, checked her vitals, and ran out panicked.
When he returned, he told us the lead Healer was gone. They could only administer basic herbs to slow the silver spread while waiting for a replacement.
My father grabbed the apprentice's collar. "Where is the specialist? You said everything was arranged!"
The boy shook his head helplessly.
My mother's eyes were half-open, staring at me. Her lips parted, but she couldn't make a sound.
I pulled out my phone and dialed James.
Seven rings. Call declined.
I called again. No answer.
My father paced the floor, muttering frantically. I couldn't answer him. My fingers hovered over the keypad, numb.
Finally, I dialed an unfamiliar number.
Jessica picked up, her tone languid. "Looking for James?"
"Put him on."
"He's in the shower. You can tell me."
"Bring the Healer back."
Silence lingered on the line for a few seconds before James's voice came through.
"Have you come to your senses?"
"Bring him back," I sobbed, tears spilling down my face. "Please."
"Fine," he said calmly. "Come to Riverside Manor and apologize to Jessica. The second she forgives you, the Healer goes back."I hung up and looked at my father.
He was crouched in the corner, his hair mostly gray, his shoulders slumped like a withered tree stump.
Riverside Manor was less than a ten-minute drive.
Jessica sat on the living room sofa, peeling a tangerine from the fruit bowl. James stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, his back turned to me.
"You're here?" Jessica popped a slice into her mouth, chewing slowly. "Sit."
"I'm not trying to be cruel," she said. "But getting slapped out of nowhere? Anyone would demand an apology, right?"
I remained silent.
She smiled smugly. "Go ahead. Apologize."
"I'm sorry."
She tilted her head. "What? I didn't catch that."
"I'm sorry."
She sighed, crumpled a tissue, and tossed it into the trash. "Words are cheap. Get on your knees and slap yourself. When I think you've learned your lesson, we're even."
I stared at her, cold fury in my eyes.
She looked toward the window. "James, what do you think?"
James didn't turn around.
I dropped to my knees. The impact of my knees against the marble tiles made a dull thud.
I raised my hand and struck my own face.
Once. Twice. Three times.
My palm stung, my cheek burned, until pain turned into complete numbness.
"Are you satisfied?"
Jessica didn't answer. She was looking past me.
My phone rang in my pocket. I pulled it out with shaking hands.
"Hello?"
"Emily..." My father's broken voice shattered through the speaker. "Your mom is gone. The silver spread to her heart... she couldn't wait for the cure..."
The phone slipped from my fingers, shattering against the floor. Light bled through the cracked glass like a spiderweb.
I knelt there, staring at the shattered screen. The call timer was still running. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.
Footsteps approached. James knelt down, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"Emily? What happened? Is it your mom...?" He hesitated. "Don't panic, I'll call right now and send the Healer back. I was only trying to teach you a lesson, I didn't actually—"
I lifted my head and looked at him.
I had looked at this face for ten years.
Outside the training grounds, in the Alpha Manor making soup for me, sleeping on the clinic bench while holding my hand.
Now, he looked like a complete stranger.
"James. My mother is dead."
"What?" His hand froze in midair, as if paused by a switch.
He blinked, staring at me. "What did you say?"
I held his gaze and repeated it slowly. "My mother is dead. The silver spread. She couldn't wait."
The words drifted from my throat, weightless, as if spoken by someone else.
All color drained from James's face.
He swayed as if struck by a physical blow, then lunged forward, grabbing my arms. "That's impossible! I had it under control! I only told the Healer to step out for a bit to make a point, I had guards watching—"
"Watching what?" I asked hollowly. "Watching her die?"
He froze. "No... Emily, that's not what I meant—"
"Then what did you mean?"
His mouth opened, but no words came out.
I took a step back. His hands slid off my arms.
Jessica rose from the sofa, her face pale as she stammered, "James, this isn't our fault! Mrs. Clark was already weak, she—"
"Shut up!" James whirled around, his eyes bloodshot.
Chapters (4)
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Watch & Promotions
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