Ron came back.

He had just finished a campaign to wipe out the northern bandits, and his armor still carried the lingering smell of blood.

Yet at this moment, this Alpha, who made enemies tremble with fear, paused at the entrance of the bedroom.

He took a deep breath before stepping inside.

After my bath, I lay straight under the covers without wearing anything.

Listening to his slightly hurried footsteps approaching, my heart kept racing.

A year.

It had been a whole year since I became the mate of the Alpha of the Thunder Pack, and I had almost kept the bed empty every night.

Campaigns, training, expelling enemies... He always had endless reasons to be busy.

I could barely remember what it felt like to sleep in each other's arms.

The sound of water filled the room. I closed my eyes, imagining the water rushing over his back muscles, sliding over his sculpted abs...

The water stopped, and the door opened.

He only had a loose towel tied around his waist, water droplets rolling down his honey-colored skin, looking especially tempting in the candlelight.

A strong masculine scent instantly filled the room.

He lifted a corner of the quilt, and when his gaze fell on my bare skin, he froze completely. The air turned stiff. He almost hastily averted his eyes, his Adam's apple rolling violently up and down.

Suddenly, he grabbed a towel from the side and roughly wiped the water off his body—even though he was already dry. I stared at him with fiery eyes.

Ron had been fighting outside all year round, training hard every day, even more robust than ordinary warriors. His muscles were like carved stone, extending down to his waistline, with a perfect mermaid line, and the blood vessels at the junction were prominent.

No matter how you looked at him, he didn't seem like a man who was... incapable.

But what was puzzling was that he seemed to have no interest in intimacy at all.

Up to this day, not once.

He turned his back to me, stiffly uttering two words: "Put this on." A soft silk nightgown was thrown beside the bed.

Again!

I lifted the quilt and suddenly pressed against his broad back. Under my palm, the muscles on his back instantly tensed like iron, and the scalding temperature burned me.

"Darling..." My lips were almost touching his. I felt the sudden heat of that skin on my face, and heard the chaotic beating of his heart. It worked! I rejoiced inwardly.

But before I could be sure, he suddenly stepped back.

"I get it." His hand brushed my cheek, sending a tingle through me. A rush of heat surged to my lower abdomen, making my whole body burn.

Then I saw him stride to the wooden cabinet in the corner and take out a stick...

I instantly fell silent, anger flaring up.

"Ron! Don't you have... that?"

He turned around abruptly, a look of astonishment flashing across his handsome face. "I... I do." He explained palely.

In those gray-blue eyes, there was an emotion I couldn't fathom. It was as if my request made him feel wronged.

"You have it, but can't use it?"

He opened his mouth, his Adam's apple rolling hard, but not a word came out.

Looking at him like this, I became even angrier.

"If you don't want to touch me, just say so! Don't humiliate me with this stuff!"

I grabbed that stick and threw it hard on the ground.

"There are so many men in the world. If yours doesn't work, others' do!"

Ron was often out fighting bandits, and it was rare to have a chance to share a bed.

Taking out a fake one, what's the point?

The more I thought about it, the angrier and more wronged I became.

Panic flashed across Ron's face, and he suddenly stepped forward, trying to grab my wrist: "Irene! Where are you going..."

I shook off his hand hard.

"Forget it, it's really boring."

I turned around, not looking at him, and left without looking back.

I rushed back to my birthplace, the Frostcliff Pack, and plunged into my sister Mia's hut. The anger that had nowhere to go made me restless.

"Mia! Get up!" I pulled back her quilt.

"Irene?" Mia rubbed her sleepy eyes, startled by my pale face. "What's wrong with you in the middle of the night?"

Ignoring her, I dragged her out to hunt in the forest.

With the bow in my hand, I shot randomly. Many wild animals suffered.

Mia caught up with me as I ran, grabbing my hand: "Irene, what’s wrong with you? It’s this late, and you’re not sleeping—suddenly in the mood for special training in the forest?" "Did you bring the wine I asked for?" I said, suppressing my anger.

Mia took out the wine pouch tied to her waist.

I snatched it and poured it straight into my stomach.

"Irene, what's really wrong?"

I glared at her angrily: "What else could it be? Since we got married, he hasn't touched me once."

"Mia, I'm just a joke. A mate of an Alpha who's... alone..."

"I can't stand this life anymore!"

With that, I poured more wine from the pouch into my mouth.

Mia listened, also feeling puzzled. "Is Ron... into that?"

"How could he be!" I denied it immediately. Ron and I grew up together; I knew all his habits. If he were into men, he would rather stay single than marry me.

"Could it be because of her?" Mia's eyes lit up, and she suddenly said.

My heart sank, and I froze. Long before marrying Ron, I’d known he’d had a betrothal—to Kate, a girl from the Deathsong Pack.

Kate had called off the engagement, saying it would interfere with her campaigns.

Could it be that Ron was holding back because of her?

So he'd been keeping his first time.

After marriage, Ron treated me like family, though not as passionate as young lovers. As a mate, he was quite qualified. Yet every time I got all worked up, he’d just half-heartedly use that damned stick.

He wouldn't even look at me more.

In his heart, am I just a shameless, insatiable woman?

Thinking of this, I threw the wine pouch on the ground. Picking up the bow, I shot several arrows. The shrill cries of some animals echoed in the silent forest.

Mia was startled.

"Irene, why bother?"

"Why don't you ask Ron face to face? After all, you're mates..."

I glared at her. "Mates? Don't call him my mate anymore."

"I want to break it off!"

Mia sighed.

At this time, the light of torches came from afar.

"Luna! Please wait!"

I took a look; it was someone sent by Ron's side.

"What are you here for?" I said coldly. The servant trembled, bowing his head: "The Alpha sent us. He's waiting for you at the door."

"Tell him to go away!"

"I just want to be alone now! I'm not going back tonight!"

I turned around, ignoring them.

Mia helplessly waved at them, signaling them to leave.

The servants begged several times, but to no avail, so they retreated.

I lingered at Mia's place until mid-morning. I figured that by this time, Ron must have left early to kill bandits.

When I opened the door, I found him sitting by the bed, his back to the door.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting his broad but unusually stiff shoulders. Hearing the noise, he slowly turned his head.

My heart skipped a beat.

He hadn't left.

Ron seemed to have stayed up all night, looking haggard, with a faint blue shadow under his eyes and slightly red rims.

When he saw me, a glimmer of light seemed to flash in his dark eyes, but it quickly vanished, and his gaze sank into weariness.

"Where did you go?" He spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

"Where I go is none of your business."

I've seen through him. I don't want to keep up this boring marriage.

I headed for the wardrobe to pack my clothes. Ron followed, and when he saw me packing, he asked, “Are you leaving?”

His face suddenly changed, looking like he was about to fly into a rage.

This makes no sense to me. “I can go wherever I want. Why do you keep asking?”

I kept packing, shoving clothes into the bag.

Ron suddenly squatted down and pulled out all the clothes I had just packed.

I stuffed them back.

He pulled them out again.

In the struggle, he grabbed my wrist.

"Stop!" Ron stopped me. I wanted to break free, but for some reason, my body went weak, and I had no strength. A strong dizziness hit me.

Ron must’ve noticed something was off with me. He cupped my burning face, urgency in his voice, and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

However, my vision of him gradually blurred.

Ron pressed against me, sniffing hard, his warm breath making me itch all over. I tried to push him away, but I couldn't muster any strength.

Ron checked almost my entire body before finding a clear snake bite mark on my ankle. "How did you get snake venom?"

"Wha... what snake..."

Before I finished speaking, a strong dizziness completely took away my consciousness.

In a half-asleep state.

A soft touch and an itchy sucking sensation came from my ankle.

I looked down and saw Ron bending over, holding my foot, sucking out the snake venom for me.

I wanted to push him away, but the snake venom struck again, making me weak all over, and my consciousness faded.

When I woke up again, I was lying on Ron's strong chest. My ankle felt cold; someone had applied herbs at some point.

Ron had me wrapped in his arms, and I couldn't move.

Still angry from last night, I pushed him away.

"Don't touch me."

Ron looked a little surprised, but he let go obediently. Instead, he stroked my ankle.

"Does it still hurt?"

"How did you get bitten by a snake?"

Last night, I stormed into the forest and drank wine; I probably didn't remember being bitten at all.

It took a whole night for the poison to take effect; I had thought it was just the aftereffects of drinking.

"None of your business." I was still upset.

Even so, Ron was just trying to act like a mate. Putting on such a show, for whom?

"Irene, can you stop being so unreasonable?" Ron said helplessly. Seeing I didn't want to talk, he got up and left.

I immediately turned around, not looking at his leaving back. It's better that Ron left, so he wouldn't pretend in front of me. But for some reason, tears still fell from the corners of my eyes.

So unworthy.

I won't shed such unworthy tears again.

Before I knew it, I fell asleep.

In the middle of the night, I felt hot all over, as if a red-hot iron was pressed against me. I opened my eyes suddenly; a familiar scent surrounded me. Ron had me tightly in his arms from behind.

Didn't he leave?

How did he come back?

My heart suddenly beat fast.

His breath hit the nape of my neck, making me itch all over.

Ron noticed I was awake, and his hand around my waist slowly moved up. He leaned close to my ear and asked me, "May I?"

These words stunned me. Before, I would have kissed him like crazy; it was rare for him to take the initiative. Now, thinking that he had kept himself for Kate for so long, I felt annoyed. After all, Kate used to be his best friend.

Until I became Ron's mate, she gradually stopped associating with him.

With these thoughts, the discomfort grew stronger, and bitterness stuck in my throat. It's like Kate gave Ron to me.

Who needs that?

"Ron, you don't have to do this."

"You don't have to pity me; I don't need it."

With that, I got up and put on my clothes immediately. I didn't see Ron trying to stop me—but he forcibly held back his outstretched hand.

I left without looking back.

Before I knew it, I walked to the training ground.

This familiar training ground brought back memories.

In the past, young, promising werewolves from various packs would come here for training. That year, Ron stood out among many werewolves.

He was tall, with a more perfect body than his peers, and his muscles were like a carefully carved work of art.

At that time, he planted a seed in my heart.

I cannot deny the truth—Ron's body is admittedly good.

But so what? If he doesn't want to, there are plenty of young, strong werewolves in the world.

The more I thought about it, the angrier I got, and I immediately sent for the servant. "Immediately bring all the strongest warriors in the pack to train with me!"

The servant hurried to obey, and after a while, three of the strongest young warriors, summoned in haste, took off their shirts at my command.

Sunlight shone on their strong chests.

I deliberately spoke loudly, my eyes sweeping over them without restraint.

But Ron's more perfect body kept flashing in my mind, making me distracted.

Somehow, word reached Ron's ears.

At the entrance of the training ground, that familiar tall figure appeared, exuding a cold aura.

I pretended not to see him, but my heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

Ron's face was as dark as rain, his gaze sweeping over the three strong young men. Finally, it fixed on me. An invisible pressure filled the air; the three warriors fell silent, frozen in place.

"Continue!" I forced myself to stay calm, but my hand holding the bow trembled slightly. He strode over. The air seemed to be sucked dry. He stopped in front of me, his tall figure completely overshadowing me, bearing the bloody aura of the battlefield.

"Irene!" His voice was low, suppressing emotion.

I turned around suddenly, about to lash out at him with harsh words.

But the moment I saw his action, all words got stuck in my throat.

He, Ron, the supreme Alpha of the Thunder Pack, in front of everyone, suddenly tore off the laces of his shirt. The clothes tore open, were roughly pulled off, and thrown on the ground.

His honey-colored skin glowed in the sun, and the muscle lines forged by years of war were smooth. His abs were well-defined, leading down to a tight waist.

An aggressive pressure came over me.

I held my breath, my mind going blank.

He stepped forward, his hot breath hitting my face.

"Is this what you wanted to see?"