Chapter 2

At dawn, Jack wrapped his arms around me from behind and leaned in to kiss the side of my face, just like he always did. But I instinctively turned away.

"I haven't brushed my teeth yet," I said, my voice dry as I came up with an excuse.

Jack paused for a split second, yet he didn't think much of it. Instead, he ruffled my hair affectionately.

"Alright, whatever you say. Come on, get up. There's an important meeting today. You have to come with me."

As he spoke, he got out of bed and began dressing. His tone was gentle as he added, "You're my Luna, so you need to be present for every major decision in the pack."

I stared at his tall, imposing figure and felt a wave of nausea.

There was a time when those words had filled me with comfort and pride. Now, they were nothing but mockery.

…

When we arrived at the pack's council hall, several Elders were already waiting. Jack took my hand and led me toward the highest seats reserved for the Alpha and Luna.

Halfway through the meeting, Jack gestured to one of his subordinates, who projected a document onto the large screen. It was the quarterly sales report for the border trading post.

Jack then rose to his feet. Wearing a serious expression, he announced, "Elders, please take a look. Clothing sales at the border post achieved an astonishing increase this quarter, tripling from the previous figures."

He pointed at the spiking line on the screen, his voice booming as he added, "Grace deserves most of the credit. She's the one in charge."

At that, the Elders exchanged glances and whispered among themselves.

Jack scanned the room before raising his voice. "Grace has demonstrated exceptional business talent. Leaving her at the border would be a waste of talent.

"I propose bringing her back to headquarters as Head of Trade, overseeing all our external dealings."

The moment he finished speaking, the council hall fell silent. Everyone knew how important the Head of Trade position was. Traditionally, it had always been held by the pack's most experienced members.

Besides, Grace was merely an Omega who had joined the pack a year ago. She barely had any experience.

But with Jack's authority as Alpha, and the seemingly flawless numbers backing him up, no one dared to object.

I looked at Jack's strictly professional expression and felt my stomach churn.

I knew he had only made up an excuse to bring that lowly Omega back to his side, so they could keep sleeping together whenever they wanted.

I couldn't stand listening to his hypocrisy anymore. "Excuse me. I need the restroom."

With that, I rose to my feet and hurried out of the suffocating room.

…

I had just stepped into the stall and shut the door when I heard two she-wolves whispering outside. They worked in the pack's finance department and handled the accounts.

"Grace's sales figures are completely fake. Most of the orders were shipped to invalid addresses, and some were sent straight to private warehouses under Alpha Jack's name," one of them said.

The other gasped. "Oh my gosh! Does that mean—"

"Keep your voice down!" the first she-wolf whispered urgently. "Do you think they can't tell? Alpha Jack even used his own money to cover the gap just so he could bring her back legitimately. Who knows what kind of spell Grace has him under to make him favor her this much?"

"Poor Luna Ivy… She's still in the dark, thinking the Alpha is doing all this for the good of the pack…"

Their voices gradually faded as they walked away.

I leaned against the cold stall divider, my body icy as my nails dug into my palms.

So, that was it. For that she-wolf, Jack hadn't just lied to me. He had gone as far as to deceive the entire pack.

My wolf roared in my mind, demanding to tear that wretched pair apart.

I took a deep breath and forced down the anger burning in my chest.

After that, I returned to the council hall just in time to hear Jack make his final confirmation. "Does anyone have any objection to this appointment?"

Silence enveloped the room as no one dared to speak.

At that moment, Jack turned toward me, and I caught a flicker of barely concealed tension in his eyes. "What do you think, Ivy?"

I met his gaze. "Since the Alpha himself says she's such a rare talent, then of course we should bring her back and make the most of her abilities."

Jack's expression faltered for a brief moment. He seemed to sense something in my tone, but quickly hid it.

"Great! Since Luna Ivy agrees, it's settled."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the doors of the council hall swung open.

Grace walked in, wearing a tailored suit and high heels. She looked as though she already knew the outcome.

As she passed Jack, her fingers subtly brushed across the back of his hand. Then, she looked at me, her eyes gleaming with undisguised provocation and triumph.