Chapter 1

Sarah's POV

When I submitted my application to leave the pack to the administration center, the elder in charge of the registration thought that he had misread it.

"Sarah Holloway! You're leaving the Snowlight Pack?"

"Yes. I felt my mate calling out to me through the mind-link a few days ago," I said, repeating the excuse I'd prepared beforehand. "He told me that he's in the Neutral Zone, and I'm planning to take Nora there to reunite with him."

This wasn't exactly the best excuse, but the administration center never pried into the pack warriors' private affairs.

The elder was taken aback at first. Then, he smiled and said, "That's actually a good thing to hear. It really isn't easy to raise a pup on your own. We all thought that you were a single mother."

I smiled along with him.

Technically, I wasn't a single mother yet. However, I was going to be one very soon.

He flipped the application form to the final page and pointed to the signature space.

"You're the Alpha's personal guard. According to the rules, you must get Alpha's approval and signature here first before you can leave the pack."

I nodded, took the form back, and turned to walk out of the center. At the end of the hallway, I saw Alpha Larry Grayback walking toward me with Erina Whitefang right next to him.

Erina was the daughter of the Alpha of Eastwood Pack. She was also the undisputed future Luna of Snowlight Pack.

She was a rare white wolf, and she had gleaming fur. Her dresses and jewelry were also very elegant and exquisite, looking like collectibles in a museum display.

Larry wasn't walking very quickly. It seemed like he was matching her pace.

I felt a bitterness surge in my chest.

Seven years ago, I had trained relentlessly, rising in ranks from the most inconspicuous reserve guard on the training field to the central guard, and finally, I was transferred to the pack's HQ as Larry's personal guard.

That same year, Larry lost control during his rut and pinned me down in his lounge.

Early the next morning, he glared at me coldly and said, "Did you really think that I would make you my Luna just because you managed to crawl into my bed?"

I ended up carrying his pup later on and gave birth to Nora. However, Larry told me clearly that he was never going to mark me or make me his mate.

He called me a "shameless and power-hungry" she-wolf and said I didn't deserve to be the Luna of Snowlight Pack.

So, I told everyone that I had just fallen in love with a wolf from another pack but lost him in a war. For years, everyone thought that I was just a single mother raising her pup by herself. I even gave Nora my last name to maintain the facade.

Larry walked right past me. I couldn't stop myself and called out to him lightly. "Larry—"

He stopped in his steps and looked at me coldly.

"Yes, Ms. Holloway?"

I understood what he meant immediately.

He was reminding me that this was the administration center, and not the home that he very occasionally would return to.

Here, he was the Alpha, and I was merely his personal guard.

I lowered my eyes and changed the way I addressed him. "Alpha Larry."

He hummed and continued walking ahead as if I were just a nobody.

My smartwatch lit up just then with a message from Nora.

"Mommy, is Daddy coming home to celebrate my birthday with me tonight?"

I stopped in my tracks and looked back instinctively.

Larry was crouching slightly while talking with Erina. A slight breeze carried the rain from the windows, and he instinctively stepped closer to her, shielding her from the shower.

I stared at them for a while, feeling as though someone was ripping my chest apart with their claws. Still, I sent him a text message.

"It's Nora's birthday today. Do you have time to spare tonight?"

I saw him glance at his phone in the hallway. Less than three seconds later, he put it away expressionlessly without replying to me.

I suddenly found it ridiculous.

What was I even expecting from him, anyway?

I slid my phone back into my pocket and took a deep breath. Soon, I wouldn't be around to disturb him anymore.

After leaving the administration center, I went to the werewolf school to pick Nora up. She ran up to me as soon as she saw me and hugged me tightly. Her eyes were shining brightly.

"Mommy! So, is Daddy coming back?"

I patted her on the head. Just as I was about to comfort her, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from Larry.

"I'll be back tonight."

His text message was like a tiny spark that somehow burned the tips of my fingers.

I looked at Nora and tried to keep my voice from shaking.

"He'll be back. He said he's coming home tonight."

Nora was so happy that she jumped for joy.

It had been six years, and this was the first time that Larry ever said that he would be home to celebrate Nora's birthday.

At night, I made a beautiful rack of venison ribs, blueberry croissants, and got Larry's favorite red wine. Nora even made sure to finish all of her homework ahead of time.

She then held the crescent moon birthday crown in her hands, waiting patiently next to the dining table.

One hour passed, then two, then three.

I sent one text message to Larry after another, but he never responded to any of them, just like how it had always been.

Nora finally asked me softly, "Is Daddy too busy at work, Mommy?"

I opened my mouth, but I didn't know what to say. Ultimately, I just placed the birthday crown on her head and replied softly, "It's okay. Mommy will always be with you."

She nodded obediently and didn't press any further.

Just at that moment, I saw that Erina had uploaded a photo on her Instagram. The caption read, "It's a beautiful night tonight. And someone's making me even happier than the moonlight."