Chapter 1

I went over to them and looked at the she-wolf dressed as a succubus.

She was beautiful. Red lipstick, a gorgeous figure—and she knew it.

No wonder my father, who normally wouldn't leave the house in anything but a suit and tie, was willing to wear matching costumes with her.

Instead of pushing her away, he flirted with her in front of everyone.

Right then, I was glad I'd come as a plague doctor. The long-beaked mask covered my face, and the black robe hid the rest of me.

So even though I was standing right in front of him, my father didn't recognize me.

I kept my tone light. "Hi! You look gorgeous as a succubus. Is this your mate? The two of you look perfect together."

My father and the she-wolf both turned to look at me. I clenched my fists out of sight.

Luckily, neither of them noticed anything.

Resentment flickered in the she-wolf's eyes at my question, but she quickly hid it.

She smiled shyly, clearly pleased.

"Not officially mates yet, but we're very good together."

My father looked a little guilty as he bent down to give her a gentle kiss.

"Sylvia, bonded or not, you're the one I love most."

Behind my mask, I bit down on my lip until it hurt.

20 years ago, my mother had defied her entire family to become the mate of a penniless man from an Omega bloodline.

She used to say that he had no money, but when she mentioned liking yellow roses, he spent half a month searching every inch of the pack’s territory for the most beautiful bouquet he could find.

She also told me how, when rogues attacked them on a trip, my frail-looking father had stepped in front of her without hesitation.

My mother escaped unharmed. My father was left with a scar down his back that would never fade.

So she had always said she married for love.

Just a few days ago, he'd made a pair of matching rings by hand for their 20th anniversary.

Hers wasn't quite the right size, but seeing the matching ring on his hand made her happy anyway. She put hers away somewhere safe.

My gaze dropped to the she-wolf's hand.

She was wearing an identical ring.

Except this one fit perfectly.

So my father hadn't forgotten my mother's size. He'd just found someone he'd rather share matching rings with.

I swallowed my anger and kept going. "Not mates? The two of you are so good together, I assumed you'd been married for at least ten years."

My father's smile froze for a second. He looked at her with guilt and tenderness in his eyes.

"That's my fault. I was young and didn't know what I really wanted, so I made a few wrong turns.

"I'm lucky she doesn't hold one failed relationship against me. She waited for me and took me back."

For a second, I almost laughed.

He was the one who went after my mother in the first place. He was the one who wanted to be her mate.

After they became mates, he kept saying he felt guilty for not being able to give her a better life.

So my mother gave him money, introduced him to her contacts, and built the company he ran.

So that nobody would ever laugh at him again for being an Omega.

My mother never kept track of what she gave him. She thought that was what mates did for each other.

And now he was calling it a failed relationship.

He'd written off 20 years with my mother and destroyed whatever was left between him and me.

I nodded. I didn't want to say another word to a man who'd lied to my mother and me for so long.

"Is that right? Congratulations on finding each other, then."

With that, I walked away and went to the nearby restrooms to swap clothes with a friend.

When the event ended, I followed my father and that she-wolf, blending into the crowd.

I had inherited my mother's Beta bloodline, which made me the strongest wolf my age.

They walked to a deserted corner without noticing me behind them.

My father looked around, then pulled the she-wolf into his arms.

"Sylvia, did you have a good time today?"

She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I did, honey. Thank you for coming with me."

They kept kissing for a long time.

I quietly aimed my phone's camera at them.

When they finally broke apart, Sylvia caught his sleeve and asked him quietly, "Elias, when are we actually going to be together?

"I'm a possessive she-wolf, Elias. I don't want to share you with that she-wolf."

My father kissed her forehead.

"Just a little longer. We can't go public yet. Tomorrow's funding depends on her father's support.

"Once this deal closes, I'll have full control of the company and won't have to rely on anyone.

"Then I'll break my mate bond with her right away, and we can be together openly."

What a pair of shameless scumbags.

That was the phrase that came into my head.

Once I'd recorded everything, I turned and left. I didn't want to hear another word from them.

Then I took out my phone again and messaged my grandfather's assistant, asking him to find out everything about my father and that she-wolf.

I was almost home when I got a message from my mother.

"Selina, when will you be back? I made the apple pie you like."

I typed slowly.

"On my way now."