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The day before our mating ceremony, my Alpha mate Damon told me that as an Omega, I wasn't qualified to be Luna unless I gave him $500,000 to buy weapons and healing herbs for the pack to fight rogue wolves.

My father used his entire life savings to give Damon the money, only to be sent by Damon to the battlefield to fight those same rogue wolves.

When my father was critically injured and dying, I begged Damon to return the money so I could buy healing herbs to save him.

Damon told me to stop playing games, but then turned around and spent that same $500,000 to buy a high-grade healing gemstone for his childhood friend's pet dog.

"I told you before—Omegas never have genuine feelings! I just feel sorry for you getting played by her emotions. This Omega is really something. Couldn't even pretend for longer than three months before showing her true nature. How boring."

"This red healing gemstone looks perfect for my little pup, don't you think?"

The woman clinging to Damon's arm, cradling a small wolf pup, was someone I recognized immediately. Ivory Blackthorne, the Alpha's daughter from the Seers pack.

She rubbed against his shoulder triumphantly.

I couldn't see his expression clearly, but I watched him swipe his card without hesitation. Five hundred thousand dollars for that healing gemstone. The same card my father had given him.

"A bet's a bet. I guess I misjudged her this time. But it doesn't matter—Sage is attractive enough and has a good body. These five years together weren't a complete loss."

Ivory couldn't hide the joy on her face as she took the healing gemstone and hung it around her pup's neck. She pulled Damon closer, asking him to judge how well the gemstone matched her pet's fur.

I knew this luxury store all too well. During the months Dad was sick, I worked part-time here. My special ability to sense healing gemstones made me valuable, and the pay was decent. But it still wasn't nearly enough.

I'd come back today to collect my things and officially quit.

Watching that limited-edition Ferrari roar away from the entrance, I slowly walked closer. The beaming salesperson was still chattering excitedly:

"That's our pack's Alpha! He treats his Luna so well—spending five hundred thousand on a healing gemstone for a pet without blinking. If only I could become Luna... hell, even being Luna's dog wouldn't be bad!"

I gripped the faded edge of my worn shirt and stood frozen in place for a long time.

The manager handed me my final paycheck and sighed, patting my shoulder.

"There's a bonus included. My condolences. If you ever want to come back, you're always welcome here."

Less than two thousand dollars in cash. Not enough to cover half a day of Dad's medical expenses.

Now it was all the money I had left in the world.

That five hundred thousand could have bought the high-grade healing herbs that would have saved my father's life. Instead, it was now a decorative gemstone hanging around a dog's neck.

I walked home in a daze, only to find four or five menacing rogue wolves waiting by my door.

"Luna, now that your old man's dead too, shouldn't you pay back what you owe? You're two months behind, and if you don't pay up soon, the interest is going to climb even higher."

I forced a smile, clutching the cash in my hand tighter as I replied:

"You know my father just passed away. I'll raise the money to pay you back as soon as possible."

The lead rogue wolf grabbed my throat viciously and slammed me against the wall, his expression fierce.

"Raise the money as soon as possible? All you have to do is ask your Alpha for it, right? We only agreed to lend you such a large sum because we knew you were the Alpha's mate. We calculated the interest fairly and reasonably."

I clawed at his arm desperately, trying to loosen his gradually tightening grip to relieve the suffocating pressure. Just as I was struggling, Damon stepped out of the elevator.

When he saw me, he clicked his tongue in annoyance and carelessly threw his bag in my direction.

The rogue wolf released his grip on my throat and turned to face Damon with a smile.

"Alpha, your mate owes us money. Why don't you just pay it back for her? You're not exactly hurting for cash, so don't make this difficult for us."

After he finished speaking, Damon looked at me coldly:

"You owe loan sharks too? Were you waiting here for me? Sage, do you really have to degrade yourself like this? Your scheming is so obvious it's hitting me in the face. Was it really worth it for that little bit of money? Did you specially hire these guys to put on this show with you?"

I covered my throat, coughing, and answered almost instinctively:

"Yes, it was worth it."

My father's lifetime savings of five hundred thousand—money that was nothing more than pocket change to Damon—had cost my father his life.

He laughed coldly and pulled out a thick checkbook from his bag, slapping it hard across my face.

"Fine. Tell me how much you want, and I'll give it to you!"