Chapter 1

Ten-year-old Rhett Grimfang glared at me.

I was just about to turn and leave when the hem of my gown became stuck at the corner of the table, tearing it open with a loud rip.

"You scheming she-wolf! That was the dress my mother loved most!"

Rhett's eyes were red as he stared at me with hatred.

"Rhett… you're lying. Sylvia loved gowns inlaid with moonstone crystals. How could she possibly have cherished this plain, old white dress?"

Caught in his lie, Rhett froze for a moment, then ran off in a flustered, furious rage.

Unlike before, I didn't chase after him to comfort him. I let him vent his anger.

The guests gradually left.

As the wind howled along the coast, I returned to my room alone.

As soon as I pushed the door open, a strong stench of blood hit me.

I saw the bloodstains on the ground. The puppy was lying there, with its eyes closed and its breathing stopped.

It was Snowball, the puppy Rhett had begged for when he was three, the one I had raised.

I stood frozen, unable to react—until Rhett burst out laughing behind me.

"You destroyed my family. Now, it's your turn to know what it feels like to lose family!"

Like a little maniac, he made a face at me and ran off.

I stared at the pool of red on the floor, feeling as though I'd fallen into an abyss.

Ten years ago, I arrived in the Wargspire Pack alone with only a suitcase in hand.

I signed a ten-year contract to become Alpha Lucien's stand-in companion and bedmate, without any title or status.

The Wargspire Pack was rigidly hierarchical. For the weak, even breathing required permission.

My name, my past, my hobbies—everything was erased by Lucien Grimfang's orders and pack law.

I was commanded to care for the Alpha's orphaned son, Rhett, and then the white puppy Snowball.

I raised them with a decade of gentleness and patience, only to end up with this bitter result.

As I lowered my head and sighed, I caught the familiar scent of fir trees.

Lucien had arrived.

Dressed in the ceremonial robes of an Alpha, he stood in the doorway, his gaze cold and emotionless.

Like father, like son—both Lucien and Rhett were cold-blooded and high above the rest.

Lucien spread his arms, waiting for me to come take off his coat as I always did.

"I heard what happened at the banquet," he said. "Elara, you were in the wrong."

I said nothing and only stood beside Snowball's lifeless body.

Lucien frowned, impatient, his eyes flicking across the bloody floor.

"Rhett is still a pup. You should be more tolerant. He's the future Alpha."

With just a glance from Lucien, a servant entered, removed the puppy's body, and cleaned the bloodstains from the floor.

Lucien then changed clothes and sat on the couch, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table.

Instinctively, I walked over to pour tea.

As I got close, he suddenly yanked me into his arms and brushed his fingers against my cheek. His eyes were filled with possessiveness.

Gripping my throat, he murmured in a low and restrained voice, "It's your birthday tonight. You don't have to take the pill. If you get pregnant, think of it as my gift to you."

His warm breath brushed against my neck, his whisper like poison.

But all I felt was a bone-deep chill.

Lucien had always been obsessively controlling in that regard.

I got pregnant within my first month in the Wargspire Pack.

I was filled with joy, only to have it crushed by a white pill he'd shoved into my mouth.

"I've only ever loved Sylvia. Rhett is the only pup I'll ever acknowledge. If you had a pup, you wouldn't be able to care for Rhett properly."

From that day on, he made me take a contraceptive every time after we slept together.

For ten years, he didn't allow an exception once.

And now, out of the blue, he said I didn't have to take it?

It was a gift, a test, a form of control.

I was supposed to feel grateful.

But tonight, for the first time, I avoided his touch.

"What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.

However, I didn't flinch even when I met his danger-filled gaze.

"Lucien, the ten-year contract has ended. Tomorrow, I'll submit my resignation to the Elder Council. I'm leaving."