Author's POV

Dominic Wolfe had hunted enemies across borders, crushed rebellions before breakfast, and once made three Alpha councils kneel with nothing but a raised eyebrow.

Yet the woman sitting beside him in the car had nearly undone him with a contract and a mouth sharp enough to draw blood.

Elara Park stared out the window, spine straight, chin high, one hand resting protectively over the document in her bag. She believed she had married Damian Sterling.

Dominic should have corrected her.

He did not.

His wolf paced inside him, furious and delighted.

[Mine.]

Dominic tightened his grip on the steering wheel.

[Not yet.]

The wolf snarled.

[She is wounded. Another male rejected her. He touched what was ours and threw her away.]

Dominic's jaw clenched so hard the muscle jumped.

He knew.

He had known Elara for three years, though she had not known him at all.

The first time he saw her, he had been leaving Alpha Academy after a lecture no one had enjoyed but everyone had pretended to understand. He was already bored, already irritated by elders whispering about heirs and royal bloodlines.

Then her scent hit him.

Bergamot and rain.

Clean. Bright. Defiant.

His wolf had gone still for one impossible second, then slammed against his ribs with such force Dominic nearly shifted in public.

He turned and saw her near the academy steps, laughing at something Zack Blackwood said.

Even then, Dominic had disliked him. The boy smelled like polished ambition and hidden cowardice.

Elara had looked at Zack with warmth. Trust. Hope.

Dominic had almost crossed the courtyard anyway.

But he was the Alpha King, last awakened Lycan royal on the continent. Every move he made carried political consequences. If he openly pursued a young hybrid already bonded to another Alpha heir, the packs would turn her into prey.

So he watched.

He told himself he was protecting her.

His wolf had called him a liar for three years.

Now fate had delivered her into his suite with a marriage contract and a bruised heart.

Dominic glanced at her.

Elara felt his gaze and narrowed her eyes. "Do you always stare at your business partners like you're deciding where to bury them?"

His mouth twitched. "Only the interesting ones."

A mindlink snapped open.

Owen, his Beta.

[Alpha, the council discovered the fertility arrangements. They know you lied about the women they sent.]

Dominic almost sighed.

The council.

Of course.

Just yesterday, twelve elders had filled the royal hall, faces tight with panic. They had spoken of bloodlines, enemies, continental stability, and the danger of a king without an heir.

"You are thirty," the Chief Elder had said, as if Dominic had misplaced the number. "You are the only awakened Lycan royal bloodline in North America. If you die without an heir, the royal line dies with you."

Another elder had slammed his fist on the stone table. "Our enemies are watching. Without a royal heir, the European Lycan houses will challenge us within months."

Dominic had sat on the throne, bored enough to count the cracks in the marble.

His wolf had muttered, [Tell them you found her.]

[No.]

[Then tell them to choke on their bloodline charts.]

[Tempting.]

When the elders pushed too hard, Dominic finally stood.

His Lycan aura rolled through the hall like a storm. Twelve powerful wolves dropped their eyes within seconds.

"My mate," Dominic had said softly, "will not be chosen by committee. My heir will not be bred like livestock. If any elder here finds that difficult to accept, I can arrange retirement. Permanently."

No one spoke after that.

Now Owen's voice buzzed with alarm.

[Alpha, did you hear me? They know.]

[I found my Luna,] Dominic replied.

Silence.

Then Owen choked. [You what?]

[There is one complication.]

[Please define complication in a way that does not shorten my life.]

[She thinks she married Damian Sterling.]

Another silence.

[Alpha.]

[Yes?]

[Why?]

Dominic glanced at Elara again. She was pretending not to listen, but her eyes had sharpened. Clever little wolf. Even without access to the mindlink, she sensed tension.

[Because she came looking for him,] Dominic said. [And because if I introduced myself as Dominic Wolfe, Alpha King, the man who has been watching over her for three years, she would stab me with the contract pen and escape through a window.]

Owen sounded pained. [That is... not impossible.]

[Keep Damian Sterling away for one week. Quietly. Make sure his family believes he is unavailable.]

[Unavailable how?]

[Creatively.]

[Understood. And the council?]

[Tell them I am handling the heir issue.]

[That will make them worse.]

[Then smile while they suffer.]

Dominic ended the link.

Elara turned toward him. "Problem?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Dominic laughed before he could stop himself.

He couldn't wait to see her face when she found out. First shock. Then confusion. Then recognition. When her wolf finally recognized him.

Soon, the whole werewolf world would know who Elara Park belonged to.

Elara

Werewolf mating registration was way more complicated than human marriage.

We were not just binding our identities. We were connecting bloodlines, inheritance rights, and mate status that the Council could recognize when needed.

Dealing with all this paperwork took us almost half a day.

After Damian and I finished signing, the system quickly created our mating certificate.

I folded the thin paper carefully and put it away, feeling relieved. Then a wave of unreality hit me.

Was I really married?

No proposal. No vows. No moon ceremony. No pack blessings. Just a cold piece of paper and a husband I barely knew.

But this paper could save my life. That was what mattered.

I thought he would at least mention some conditions after we finished the registration. But he didn't.

He just gave me his contact info, told me I could call if I needed anything, then left like nothing happened.

It was too calm. His casual attitude made me nervous.

I started wondering if he already knew who I was. If he understood what this marriage meant to me.

But I had no time to think about it. I had more important things to do.

I immediately called my mother and lawyer.

This time, I didn't argue angrily like before. I didn't try to get her approval.

I simply told her in a calm voice:

"I married Damian Sterling. It's time to return the inheritance rights that father left me."

A long silence came from the other end.

Then Nadia's voice, clearly holding back rage:

"Oh... married so quickly? Fine. However, Elara, about the property matters, we need to confirm some things..."

"Confirm what?" I stayed calm. "Father's will is very clear. If I complete a mating registration before my 23rd birthday, I can get back the property management rights. Now I'm married. According to legal procedure, it should be transferred to me."

"But darling, with the Sterling family's current situation... Damian's position... we need to evaluate whether this marriage has legal validity..."

"Mom," I cut her off, my voice stronger than ever, "don't try to play word games with the will. I hired the best legal team. Every clause has been carefully reviewed. Damian Sterling is a legally recognized adult male. Our mating registration fully meets legal requirements.Most importantly, he was one of your recommended candidates. How come your pure bloodline didn't give you a decent memory?"

"Elara, what kind of attitude is this? I am your mother!"

"Mother?" I laughed coldly. "Would a real mother use her daughter's inheritance as leverage? Would she stand by and watch her daughter get humiliated by her stepsister without lifting a finger?"

"Everything I've done has been for the pack's benefit..."

"For the pack's benefit? Or to make sure Selina can marry into the Blackwood family and secure your position in the Vance pack?" I pushed harder. "My whole life, you've treated me like a pawn, a tool, a doll to control. Now that I'm playing by your rules, you want to change them?"

Nadia's tone got sharp when I hit her weak spot: "Don't forget who raised you! Without the Vance pack, do you think you'd be where you are today?"

"Is that so?" My voice got colder. "Then don't forget that without my father's money, would the Vance pack's business be where it is today? How much profit have you taken from Park Hotel Group all these years?"

"Those were all legitimate investment returns..."

"Legitimate?" I scoffed. "Then me getting back my rightful property management is equally legitimate. Mother, you can't profit from my father's estate while denying his heir control, can you?"

Heavy breathing came from the other end. Clearly Nadia was speechless.

"Since this is how things are," I continued, my tone ice cold, "I hope you'll keep your promise. Tomorrow my lawyers will handle the property transfer procedures. If there's any interference..."

I paused on purpose, letting the threat hang in the air:

"I will sue everyone involved, including you and your husband, and anyone trying to steal my father's estate. Trust me, I have both the ability and the determination."

"You dare threaten me?" Nadia finally dropped her mask. "You'll regret this! You ungrateful..."

I hung up.

Looking at the "Call Ended" on my screen, I suddenly felt incredibly light.

Finally, no more pretending. No more seeking her approval. No more wanting her motherly love. No more compromising myself for that tiny bit of fake warmth.

Next, I did something else important.

I got rid of everything related to Zack.

Messages deleted. Call history erased. His scent in my apartment completely removed. Even the leftover pheromones on the sheets, carpets, and sofa were all replaced.

Just as I finished dealing with everything and was ready to leave my old apartment, a black car stopped downstairs.

An older driver respectfully opened the door for me, bowing as he spoke:

"Mrs. Wolfe."

The driver's way of addressing me made me pause. Wolfe? I remembered Damian's last name should be Sterling.

But then I thought maybe this was a new identity he took after leaving the Sterling family name. Given his position in the Sterling family, getting disowned wouldn't be surprising.

Or maybe it was his mother's last name?

I didn't think much about it. These details weren't important to me anyway.

But Damian Sterling had a terrible reputation. If he weren't the Alpha's son, he would have been banished long ago.

That was why he became the other party in this arranged marriage.

Yet as I slid into the luxurious leather seats, breathing in the scent of expensive cologne and polished wood, how could someone so ignored still have a personal driver and luxury car?

Elara

I immediately called Damian .

He picked up on the second ring, his voice slightly breathless like he'd been running. "Hey, what's up?"

"I asked you some questions," I said, not letting him dodge it. "Did you change your last name because you got kicked out of your family? And what's with the fancy car and driver?"

There was a brief pause, then his careless laugh. "Oh, that. Yeah, I stopped using Sterling a while back. Honestly? I got sick of being associated with that pack. "

I frowned, twisting a strand of hair around my finger as I processed his explanation. His tone was casual, maybe too casual.

But the explanation made sense in a weird way.

Rich families and their complicated politics were beyond me anyway.

"And the car?"

"Like I said, borrowed from a buddy. He's got more money than sense, and he owed me a favor. I couldn't let my new wife ride around in some beat-up Honda, could I? It would make us both look bad."

I rubbed my forehead, deciding to let it go. Whatever his real story was, as long as he helped me get my inheritance back and stuck to our deal of staying out of each other's business, I had no reason to dig deeper.

"Fine. Just... next time give me a heads up about stuff like that, okay? I don't like surprises."

"Got it. Anything else, Mrs. Wolfe?" The way he said my new name made something flutter in my chest, though I couldn't figure out why.

"No, that's it."

After hanging up, I told the driver to take me back to my apartment near Blackwood Pack territory.

This place had been the setting for my secret relationship with Zack.

Now, looking at these buildings, I felt nothing but disgust.

Every block in this neighborhood was Blackwood territory, and I wanted no connection to them anymore.

Just as I reached the apartment building, someone called out to me.

"Elara!"

I turned around, my keys already in my hand, ready to make a quick escape. An anxious figure was rushing toward me.

Lisa. She was the housekeeper Zack had hired to take care of our little love nest.

A sweet woman in her fifties who'd always treated me kindly, probably thinking I was going to be her Alpha's Luna someday.

"Miss Elara, are you okay?" Lisa's face was flushed from running, her gray hair slightly messy. Her eyes were filled with sympathy and concern. "I heard about the Alpha's Luna announcement on the pack news..."

I forced a smile. "It's over, Lisa."

"Over? What's over?" Lisa grabbed my arm with both hands, her grip surprisingly strong for such a small woman. Surprise flashed in her eyes. "But... but what about you two..."

"There is no 'but' anymore," I gently pulled my arm free. "I'm married now."

"What?!" Lisa's mouth dropped open so wide I thought she might catch flies. "What did you say? Married? To who? When did this happen?"

"To someone decent," I replied, shifting my weight from foot to foot, eager to get this conversation over with.

"The point is, I've moved on. Could you do me a favor? Please give Zack a message for me. From now on, we have zero connection. And he'd better not show his face around me."

Lisa's eyes filled with tears, like she was mourning the end of a fairytale she'd believed in. "But Miss Elara, he loves you so much..."

I almost laughed at that. "No, Lisa. He doesn't. Trust me on that."

With that, I turned and walked into the building, taking the stairs two at a time to avoid any more painful conversations.

Packing up took me nearly two hours. I moved through the small space like a tornado, grabbing everything that was mine.

I'd built up quite a collection in this apartment. Clothes, books, toiletries... each item carried memories of the past.

Every piece I touched made my chest tight, but also made me more determined to leave it all behind.

I packed them all into boxes, planning to toss everything in the dumpster. If he could throw away what we had so easily, then I could throw away these reminders just as fast.

After clearing out the last item, I wheeled my suitcase toward the building exit, my heels clicking loudly on the marble floor.

Only to spot a Blackwood family car parked outside.

My heart stopped.

I knew that car way too well.

It was Zack's go-to ride. The same one that had dropped me off after our hidden encounters.

My hands clenched into fists at my sides.

After his public display with Selina, he still had the nerve to come find me.

The car door opened with a soft click that somehow sounded loud in the quiet street.

The familiar figure stepped out.

Zack Blackwood wore a dark gray suit, perfectly tailored to his broad shoulders.

"Elara."

He said my name like a prayer, like it still meant something coming from his lips.

He walked toward me, his voice low and gentle, just as it had been the countless times he'd whispered sweet lies in my ear.

But now, hearing my name from his mouth made me want to throw up.