Chapter 4

The private room spun with clinking glasses and raucous laughter, Alphas and Betas drinking like the world belonged to them.

I sat curled in a corner, invisible, my glass clutched tight.

Richard stood in the center of it all, commanding the room without effort. Yet his green-brown eyes never once strayed to me. No, every look, every subtle smile, every small act of tenderness—twisting a cap, handing over a drink—belonged to her.

To Lynn.

All the things I had longed for, he gave so easily to her.

I tilted my head back and drained the wine in one go, the burn cutting down my throat.

“He was never ours,” Lily snarled in my head, her voice icy and merciless. “Stop deluding yourself.”

My heart twisted, like a dull blade carving into flesh. Maybe she was right. Maybe the bond between us was just instinct. Maybe every whispered word, every tender moment I thought was love—was nothing more than me projecting my own desperate hope onto him.

A shout erupted across the room.

“The bottle landed on Richard!” someone cheered.

They shoved a tablet into his hands. “Come on, Alpha. Let’s play ‘This or That.’ Tell us who stirs your blood more.”

The screen lit up with two photos: a famous actress and Lynn.

Richard didn’t hesitate. “Lynn.”

The room roared with laughter and applause. Lynn’s cheeks flushed pink, her smile glowing under the attention.

I gripped my glass harder until it nearly cracked.

Then, the next round lit the screen—and my blood froze.

Two pictures. One of her. One of me.

The room went wild. “Now this is interesting! Ann’s the most beautiful she-wolf in Silver Fang. If Richard still chooses Lynn, well… that says it all!”

Every eye turned to him.

For three long, suffocating seconds, Richard was silent.

And then “Ann.” His voice was cold, detached.

The crowd exploded in cheers.

But the word meant nothing. It wasn’t affection. It wasn’t choice. It was a handout, a pity answer to quiet the crowd.

I stood abruptly; my chest was hollow. The walls of the private room pressed in, choking me.

In the hallway, three drunken wolves staggered into my path.

“Hey, pretty thing,” one of them slurred, reaching for my face. “Give me your number.”

My wolf surged. My eyes glowed gold as I growled, “Get lost.”

But they only laughed, their breath heavy with alcohol.

“Why so cold?” another sneered, yanking my wrist. His grip was bruising, cruel. “Dressed like this… you’re practically begging for attention.”

“Rip them apart!” Lily howled in my mind.

I struggled against their grip, ready to shift—when the door opened.

Richard.

He stood framed in the light, his expression tight, his body coiled with power. Relief washed through me—until Lynn’s scream sliced through the air.

“Ahh!”

Richard’s head whipped around.

“I—I twisted my ankle,” Lynn whimpered, eyes brimming with tears. “It’s fine, go help Ann first…”

But before I could blink, his arm was already around her waist, steadying her, protecting her. With his other hand, he slammed one wolf against the wall by the throat.

The others backed off instantly, cowed by an Alpha’s fury.

I saw it then—his hand on her waist, her pitiful eyes locked on him. And I couldn’t breathe.

I snatched a bottle from a nearby display and smashed it against the floor, glass biting into my palm, blood spilling hot and fast.

“Get out of my way!” My voice cracked with fury and something far more fragile.

While they stared at me in shock, I slipped past and bolted.

I didn’t take Richard’s car. I couldn’t stand to. Instead, I stood in the downpour, the rain drenching me to the bone.

“Ann!” Lynn’s voice chirped from behind me.

She appeared with an umbrella, smiling sweetly as if we hadn’t just lived through hell. In her hand, she dangled keys to a brand-new sports car, flashing them like jewelry.

“Didn’t you drive? I can take you home.”

I stared at the car keys, then at her carefully polished smile—and laughed bitterly.

How perfect she looked in her glittering facade.

“No thanks,” I sneered. “I’d rather walk than ride in the car of a mistress’s daughter. It reeks of filth.”

Her expression shattered, the mask slipping. For once, her eyes burned.

“Ann! Say that again!”

I stepped closer, my words sharp as knives. “Say it a hundred times, it won’t erase your mother’s sins. That’s who she is—and who you are.”

Her face twisted with rage.

But before she could retort, headlights blinded us both.

A car, out of control, barreled toward us.

I froze.

And then—Richard lunged.

He grabbed Lynn, pulling her into his arms. Just as he reached for me—

Impact.

Pain exploded, sharp and merciless. The world spun, and then—blackness.