My father has a thing for Kensley Gonzales.

Funny, so does my mother.

The affair between my father and Kensley came to light.

My mother grabbed Kensley’s hand and said, "Dear sister, I’m not here to tear you apart. I’m here to bring you home."

A father with a mistress, a mother from humble origins, and me, the one who loudly exposed it all.

My future mother-in-law fainted on the spot.

How could a rough-around-the-edges Delta like me, who’s spent years in pack training, ever be worthy of the Franklin Pack’s polished and elegant heir, Keaton Franklin?

So, they tossed the pack’s eccentric Beta, Noah Franklin, at me instead.

Later, their branch of the pack lost its Alpha status. Keaton said to me, "You’ve done all this just to force me to mate with you, haven’t you? Fine, Clara Franklin, I’ll mate you."

I couldn’t help but ask, "Are you out of your mind?"

---

I crouched on the rooftop all night, finally seeing my father sneak out, pants in hand.

Kensley saw him off at the back door, leaning against a maple tree, smiling sweetly. "Brother, you’ve been out all night. Sister Xiomara must be furious."

My father scoffed. "I’m the Alpha of the Franklin Pack, appointed by the Lycan King himself. I’ve fought in countless pack wars. Why should I fear a mere Omega?"

When my mother was tirelessly tending to wounded warriors in the pack’s infirmary, my father used to say, "With a mate like her, what more could I ask for?"

Now, in front of the refined and alluring Kensley, my mother had become "a mere Omega."

Truth is, my mother is the epitome of grace and kindness.

My father’s frequent visits to Kensley’s estate, bringing her clothes, food, warmth, and companionship—perhaps even pets—didn’t escape my mother’s notice.

She said gently, "If you and Sister Kensley are truly meant for each other, why not seek the Lycan King’s blessing and bring her into the pack?"

My father flew into a rage, accusing my mother of jealousy and baseless suspicion.

"How unreasonable can you be? Kensley and I are like siblings—pure and innocent.

"I’m just helping her out because she’s alone and struggling.

"You’re the Luna of this pack. Even if you can’t match Kensley’s grace and intellect, at least don’t stoop to the level of petty gossipers.

"If it weren’t for Kensley’s generosity, sacrificing her wealth to support the Lycan King’s rise, where would we be now? The Lycan King himself praised her for her selflessness and foresight.

"And here you are, throwing mud at her with your words. Have you no shame?"

My father, a hero who defended the pack, had a face full of righteous indignation.

My mother believed him, feeling ashamed for even questioning.

But seeing my father and Kensley grow closer, her instincts urged her to speak up again.

My father clung to the "pure and innocent" line, berating my mother for being "petty" and "narrow-minded."

He’d become enamored with Kensley, reading books to impress her, and while he didn’t learn much poetry, he certainly mastered the art of belittling my mother.

As if he thought there was no evidence?

Well, evidence wasn’t hard to come by.

"Hey, Dad," I called from the rooftop.

My father jumped. "Clara? What are you doing up there?"

"Exposing the affair," I said, raising the large gong in my hands.

With my father’s horrified gaze fixed on me, I banged it as hard as I could.

"Come see! My father’s cheating!"

This street was full of pack warriors.

In the drowsy early morning, nothing was more invigorating than a front-row seat to a juicy scandal.

My father’s sworn brothers, his drinking buddies, his rivals.

Doors swung open, and curious heads poked out, all witnessing my father chasing me, disheveled, as we ran out of Kensley’s estate.

My father, Alpha Ulises Ray, was infatuated with Kensley Gonzales.

To be honest, my mother, Xiomara Russell, didn’t hate Kensley either.

“I’m not the kind of Luna who can’t tolerate others,” my mother said bitterly, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and sorrow. “Kensley is talented, witty, and knows how to enjoy life. If she had joined our pack as my sister, I would have been more than happy.

“But he—Ulises—he took advantage of her, ruined her reputation, and now he won’t even give her a proper title. Instead, he turns around and blames me for it!”

My mother sobbed in front of Luna Kensley Gonzales, her words laced with venom as she tore into my father’s character. Yet, not once did she speak ill of Kensley herself.

Luna Kensley, her forehead wrapped in a bandage, slammed her pendant onto the table in frustration. She pointed at me, her voice sharp with disapproval.

“You could’ve just dragged your father into an alley and beaten him senseless. That would’ve been better than parading his shame all over the city!

“Now his disgrace is out in the open, and your reputation is in tatters.

“The Franklin Pack was already hesitant about this mate bond. I’ve been singing your praises, trying to convince them to give you a chance. And what do you do? Hand them ammunition to destroy you. Are you trying to make them regret this even more?”

My father, Alpha Ulises Ray, was a respected leader with a strong aura, a werewolf who had proven his loyalty to the Lycan King during the pack wars. But despite his status, the old, established packs still looked down on him. The Franklin Pack, with its centuries of history, sneered at his origins.

“What does it matter if he’s an Alpha?” they’d say. “A few generations back, he was just a rogue, a wanderer with no pack to call his own.”

It was harsh, but not entirely untrue. My grandfather’s grandfather had indeed been a rogue, struggling to survive before finding his place in the pack.

But disdain aside, the political landscape demanded alliances. The Lycan King needed the support of the old packs, and the old packs needed to show their loyalty to the new order.

I, as the daughter of a trusted Alpha, was the perfect candidate for this alliance.

Luna Kensley had painted me as the ideal mate—strong, intelligent, and loyal. But the Franklin Pack had never believed it. To them, I was just a Delta, a warrior who’d spent too much time in the field, lacking the grace and refinement they valued.

That night, when I snuck into the Franklin Pack’s territory, I had hoped to catch a glimpse of Keaton Franklin, their future Alpha. Instead, I overheard his mother, Xiomara Russell, weeping in her mate’s arms.

“Why does it have to be Keaton?” she cried, her voice breaking. “The thought of him being tied to that—that rough, uncultured Delta—it’s tearing me apart.

“My Keaton is brilliant, refined, destined for greatness. How could he be shackled to someone like her?”

Keaton knelt before his parents, his voice steady but tinged with resignation. “I am the future Alpha of this pack. If I can’t bear this for the sake of our pack’s future, how can I lead?

“When she joins our pack, we’ll keep her confined. If she’s uneducated or uncouth, we’ll train her. If she’s unbearable, we’ll treat her as nothing more than a servant. But I’ll endure it.”

Still, I could see the flicker of disappointment in his eyes, the dream of a true mate bond slipping away.

And now, with my father’s scandal exposed, I’d given them even more reason to despise me.

I couldn’t help but smirk. Oh, the Franklin Pack was going to lose their minds over this.