I waited at the entrance of the Harrison Pack’s territory for three months before I finally caught a glimpse of him.

At first, he wore a hooded jacket, his clothes tattered, worse than mine, and there was a prominent scar running across his right eye. But I recognized him instantly. His scent, though faint, carried the unmistakable trace of rosemary and pine—the same scent I had memorized from our brief encounters in the past.

The night I left the pack’s main house, Healer Ruthie had repeatedly warned me that we were no longer connected to the Harrison Pack. I was never Sebastian’s true mate, and I knew nothing about him. We were just in town looking for relatives, she said.

I understood the gravity of the situation, so I didn’t call out to him. Instead, I followed him quietly until we reached a narrow alley. He suddenly turned around, his claws extending, and froze when he saw it was me.

I blinked at him and smiled. “I knew you weren’t dead.”

Ruthie seemed unable to believe it. Her eyes reddened as she looked him up and down, over and over, before finally kneeling and bowing deeply.

“Alpha Sebastian,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’ve suffered so much.”

His eyes darkened, and he helped her up. “Ruthie, don’t call me that anymore. From now on, I’m just Sebastian Harrison.”

Sebastian Harrison. It took me a year to learn his name, and just as I’d imagined, it suited him perfectly.

That evening, I sat on the steps, gazing at the moon. The sky was hazy, and the moon was barely visible.

“What are you looking at?” Sebastian sat down beside me.

I turned to meet his gaze, and suddenly, the moon seemed clearer. I smiled. “The moon.”

Sebastian pursed his lips, leaning back on his hands. “How did you recognize me today?”

“Your scent,” I said confidently. “It’s unique—rosemary and pine. I could never forget it.”

He was easy to recognize. His eyes held the reflection of the moon and the clouds, and I knew I’d never forget them.

Sebastian paused, raising a hand to cover his eyes. “With this face, I’m sure I could scare children into silence. It’s surprising you could still pick me out.”

He was mocking himself, that scar running across his right eye. I gathered my courage and leaned closer, my fingers brushing the scar. “Does it hurt?”

He looked away, his voice low. “Isn’t it ugly? Aren’t you afraid you’ll have nightmares?”

“It’s not ugly,” I said firmly.

It really wasn’t. He had always been handsome, and now the scar only added to his presence.

I hesitated for a moment, then rolled up my sleeve and showed him my arm. “You don’t need to feel bad about scars. I have them too.”

Before I came to the Harrison Pack, my father, Ahmad, loved to hit me. When he drank too much, when he lost money at the pack’s gambling den, even when my mother, Scarlet, tried to defend me, he would beat me. Using his claws wasn’t uncommon, and my body was covered in scars.

Sebastian’s expression darkened as he stared at the marks on my arm. His face turned so grim it seemed to blend into the shadows.

I quickly pulled my sleeve back down, feeling a little embarrassed. “Don’t worry, these scars aren’t scary…”

I felt awkward.

He was silent for a long time before finally letting out a low chuckle. He leaned closer to me. “You’re the first person in my life who’s told me not to be afraid.”

He untied the pendant from around his neck and pressed it into my hand. “Don’t go back to that place. From now on, you don’t have to be afraid either.”

His warm breath brushed against my skin, and I smiled, realizing what he meant.

Ruthie saw us from the doorway and immediately pulled me aside that night, determined to give me a lesson. She handed me a book with illustrations of figures, her face calm but her voice serious.

“Learn this well,” she said, tapping my head. “Sebastian is the last of his bloodline in the Harrison Pack. Given the current circumstances, you need to work hard and ensure his lineage continues. We can’t let the Harrison name die out.”

I opened the book, and Ruthie began explaining each page. My face burned when I realized what it was about.

So, being a chosen mate meant doing *this*?

Time waits for no one, and Ruthie was especially anxious.

On the third night, she bundled me up in a blanket and carried me into Sebastian’s room.

Before leaving, she even stripped me of my clothes. “Sebastian’s never had a mate before. You’ll need to take the lead tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll prepare some strengthening herbs for you,” she whispered, her voice firm but laced with urgency.

I clutched the blanket tightly, my face flushed with heat and embarrassment.

In a daze, I remembered her words.

The Gamma has been so kind to me, giving me food, clothes, and even smiling at me. I’m his chosen mate. I should strengthen our bond.

So, I buried my face deeper into the blanket, my heart pounding.

Sebastian returned late, long after the moon had risen.

Since I’d been staying here, he’d been leaving early and returning late, and no one knew what he was doing.

I listened intently to the sound of the door closing. He was probably taking off his jacket, not bothering to turn on the lights.

After some rustling, he finally climbed into bed.

My mind, usually slow to react, was now a whirlwind of nerves. Most of what Ruthie had taught me the night before had slipped away in my panic.

Desperate, I tentatively reached out my hand, only for my wrist to be caught in his icy grip.

“What are you doing in my room at this hour?”

His voice was low, heavy with confusion and irritation.

He tried to pull me up, but when he saw I was completely bare under the blanket, he froze and immediately pushed me back down.

I shivered from the cold but managed to stammer out, “I’m here to strengthen our bond.”

The room fell silent, so quiet I could hear the sound of my own heartbeat.

Trembling, I reached for him again. “Ruthie said your pack’s lineage is thin, and I need to work hard to secure our future.”

I hurriedly added, “Don’t worry, I know you’re inexperienced. I’ve learned a lot. Ruthie said if I follow what I’ve learned, it won’t be uncomfortable for you.”

“No.”

Sebastian cut me off sharply. His eyes, usually warm, were now cold, and the scar on his face made him look intimidating.

Before I knew it, I was being carried back to my room, still wrapped tightly in the blanket like a cocoon.

Ruthie, seeing this, was stunned. “What’s going on?”

Sebastian sighed. “Ruthie, stop teaching her those things. I don’t need to strengthen the bond right now.”

She tried to argue, but one sharp look from him silenced her.

He laughed, but it was a bitter, self-mocking sound. “My future is uncertain. If I die out there one day, and she’s left with a bond, how will she find her true mate? She’d be tied to me.”

This was the first time I’d seen Sebastian like this.

The moon in his eyes was blurred, as if the clouds were closing in.

The next morning, I was up before dawn, waiting by his door to intercept him.

“I’m already your mate. Being a mate means strengthening our bond,” I said earnestly, looking straight at him.

Sebastian frowned, correcting me gently. “That’s not how it works. When have you ever seen a mark ceremony without a celebration, without gifts, without a mate bond? You came into this pack through the back door. That’s not what a real mark ceremony is.”

I stubbornly insisted, “But I’m yours.”

He patiently explained further. “You’re not mine. I haven’t marked you, so you’re still free. You don’t have to be bound by anyone. The necklace I gave you is worth a lot of money. From now on, you can live however you want. You don’t have to let anyone control your life. Maybe one day you’ll meet someone you truly care for, and then you can mate freely. Do you understand?”

I looked at him, my eyes welling up with tears.

I couldn’t quite put into words what I was feeling, but it was the same kind of pain I’d felt when I was carried into the pack lands after my family abandoned me.

I stood there at the door for what felt like an eternity.

Ruthie sighed and walked over to me. “Forget it. I pushed you too hard. I should’ve known. Sebastian has always hated seeing suffering in the world. Of course he wouldn’t take advantage of you at a time like this.”

I didn’t respond.

Something heavy was pressing down on my chest.

Back then, I didn’t yet know what it meant to care for someone deeply.