I was eight years old when I was taken in by the Wagner family, becoming Eren Wagner’s chosen mate. He told me he needed to focus on his training, promising that once he ascended to his rightful role as Beta, he would formally mark me as his mate. I waited for that promise, year after year, for a decade. But Eren always had an excuse—his duties in the Silver Fang Pack kept him too busy, he said. I traveled to the city to find him, and Eren entrusted me to his close friend, a notorious Alpha named Wayne Kelley, with the words, “I’m at a critical point in my career. Don’t interfere.”

Then came the day the Lycan Prince, Massimo Bishop, arranged a mate bond for Eren with another Beta, Amora Morrison. I was twenty years old by then, an unmated Omega in the eyes of the pack. Eren handed me a stack of cash, calling it compensation. “Lilian,” he said, “we can’t be together anymore. It’s better if we part ways.”

I sighed softly, pulling the curtains closed to hide the sight of Wayne Kelley, bare-shouldered and lounging in my bed. Well, at least Eren wouldn’t have to worry about his friend’s loyalty anymore.

---

Finally, I was going to see Eren again. I clutched my bundle of belongings, my heart pounding. The pack members had warned me—Eren was now a high-ranking Beta, a rising star in the pack. He wouldn’t want me anymore. But I refused to believe it. I had been taken in by his family at eight, raised as his chosen mate. He had taught me to read and write, promising to mark me once he ascended. Even if he didn’t want me, I needed to see him, to hear it from his lips. I had waited ten years, while others my age were already raising pups. I couldn’t remember my original family—Eren was my only anchor in this world. I clung to him like a drowning woman to a lifeline.

As I stood there, lost in thought, I spotted a tall, lean figure approaching. My heart leaped. Eren looked different now, no longer the boy from our humble beginnings. He wore tailored clothes, his demeanor refined and commanding. He still stood out in a crowd, as striking as ever. “Eren!” I called out, my voice filled with joy.

But Eren’s expression darkened. He glanced around, as if afraid someone might see us. He strode over, his height forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “Why are you here?” he asked, his voice cold. He didn’t even ask if I was tired from the journey.

I bit my lip, my confidence waning. He was a Beta, a man I had always admired. “The house back home collapsed,” I murmured. “I came to see you.” What I really wanted to say was, “I came to ask when you’ll mark me as your mate.” But the words stuck in my throat.

Eren’s frown deepened. Another man approached, dressed in fine clothes, and greeted Eren with a respectful nod. “Eren, who’s this?” he asked, glancing at me.

Before I could answer, Eren spoke first. “A distant relative.” The man gave me a cursory look, then turned back to Eren. “Don’t forget—the pack meeting tonight at the Moonlit Tavern. Don’t be late.”

Eren nodded. “I’ll be there.”

A distant relative? I blinked, my heart sinking. I wanted to ask about the Moonlit Tavern, but Eren’s piercing gaze silenced me. He had always been decisive. After his father passed, Eren had supported us both by taking on odd jobs. He had raised me, and I had always deferred to him. Even when I started baking to contribute, I never felt equal to him.

I pulled out a box of pastries I’d saved for him. “Eren, I brought your favorite peach cakes.” I hadn’t eaten all day, but I didn’t dare touch them.

Eren pushed the box back into my bag, his tone icy. “I’ll take you to someone who can look after you for now.”

I froze. “W-why?”

“I don’t have a place of my own yet,” he said curtly. “I can’t take you in.”

I didn’t argue, afraid he’d see me as a burden. But when I met his “friend,” my stomach churned. Wayne Kelley was everything Eren wasn’t—flamboyant, confident, and unnervingly attractive. He wore a deep blue shirt, a silver pendant at his neck, and his hair fell in careless waves. His scent carried a faint, earthy tone, like a walking temptation. He was the kind of man mothers warned their daughters about.

“Lilian,” Eren said, “this is Wayne Kelley, the Alpha of the Silver Fang Pack. He’s agreed to look after you for now.”

I grabbed Eren’s sleeve, desperate not to be left with this man. Eren sighed, prying my fingers loose. “I’m at a critical point in my career. Don’t interfere. Wayne’s a good man. You’ll be safe with him.”

Wayne chuckled, his voice dripping with amusement. “Oh, I’m a very good man. Especially when it comes to taking care of women.”

In that moment, I couldn’t help but think of the man who had taken me in all those years ago. He, too, had called himself a “good man.”

"Peach blossom pastry…"

I was about to hand over the package of pastries when Eren Wagner turned and walked away, his steps hurried.

I understood. He had ambitions and goals. I had watched him train and lead the pack for years, and I wasn’t the type to cling or cause trouble. I wouldn’t interfere with his path.

It’s just that… there were so many things I wanted to say to him.

Like how Sister Clara was expecting her third pup, how Alpha James had taken his thirteenth chosen mate, or how Beta Sarah had marked her mate… But these things probably didn’t matter to Eren anymore.

It felt as though we had nothing left to talk about.

I was lost, uncertain, like a rogue wandering without a pack. There was a faint ache in my chest, subtle but impossible to ignore.

Wayne Kelley stepped closer to me. The sun wasn’t particularly strong, but he adjusted his collar, his sharp eyes scanning me up and down. His lips curled into a smirk. "So, you’re the girl Eren’s been keeping at the edge of the territory? A bit rough around the edges, but not bad otherwise."

What did he mean by that?

I took a step back, instinctively wary. Men who were too handsome were like the poisonous plants in the forest—beautiful but dangerous.

Wayne chuckled, revealing a row of perfect white teeth, and turned to his attendants. "Paulina, Adalyn, take her and clean her up properly. My quarters can’t afford to have anything… unsightly."

I was speechless.

Alright, then. I was the belle of the edge pack, but compared to this man, I might as well have been an Omega.

Soon, I was taken to a guest room and thoroughly scrubbed clean. It had been days since I’d last bathed, and as I watched the two attendants prepare another tub of water, I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.

When I saw Wayne again, he was in the courtyard, brewing a pot of herbal tea. He was meticulous, almost too refined.

"Alpha Wayne," I stammered, trying to mimic the polite phrases I’d heard in the pack, "thank you for your hospitality."

Everything here felt foreign to me, and I couldn’t help but feel out of place.

Wayne glanced at me, then at his attendants. "Starting today, use the pack’s healing salve on her skin."

I wanted to refuse, but I remembered his earlier comment about not tolerating anything unsightly in his quarters, so I kept my mouth shut. Pack life sure had its quirks.

Wayne added, "The Silver Fang Pack is complicated. Don’t wander around aimlessly. If something happens to you, don’t say I didn’t warn you."

I nodded obediently.

Wayne scoffed, though I couldn’t tell what he found amusing. His laugh was both wicked and charming.

For the next few days, I lived a life of luxury in Wayne’s quarters. Good food, good drinks, and attendants to wait on me. Aside from the daily healing salve treatments, I was bathed in fragrant herbs.

Adalyn said, "Lilian, don’t take it the wrong way. The Alpha just wants the best for you. And, well… he really can’t stand anything unsightly. Even the herbs in his courtyard are carefully selected."

I understood by now. After all, Wayne’s attendants were all strikingly beautiful.

Over the past few days, I had learned a bit about the Silver Fang Pack. Wayne was the eldest son and the Alpha heir, but his father had a second chosen mate and another son. The succession for the Alpha title was still undecided.

Wayne was known for his rebellious nature. He didn’t train or lead like others did. Instead, he spent his days indulging in leisure and pleasure.

As the gossip went—Wayne had nothing but his looks to his name.

But I couldn’t help feeling… that he was pitiful in his own way.

Back at the edge of the territory, the twin sisters next door had a strict stepmother who arranged their marking ceremonies to hunters in exchange for favors. It made me wonder if Wayne, too, was trapped in a similar web of pack politics.