Chapter 1

My mating ceremony with my fiancé, Jaden, was approaching, yet I had unexpectedly discovered he had fathered a pup with another she-wolf. I was nothing more than a tool he had chosen to keep his Alpha father quiet.

I returned home, pulled out my suitcase, and began packing.

My best friend stared at me in disbelief. "Arabella, are you really going through with this arranged mating?"

I kept packing. "Yes, I've already arranged everything. I'm leaving in five days."

Beryl Montgomery hesitated. "Can you really bear to leave this place? To leave... my brother?"

I frowned. "Why wouldn't I be able to? I have no memory of your brother. Did I love him or something?"

Beryl picked up my phone, opened the notes app, and handed it to me. "You loved him to death. Everything is recorded here—your entire five-year pursuit of him."

I scrolled through hundreds of densely packed pages. My chest felt tight, as if a heavy stone was pressing down on it, making it hard to breathe.

There were a hundred confession records and a hundred different rejection responses. The only thing they all had in common was that every single one mentioned a third person's name—Lillian Rosewood.

Beryl sighed, her expression grim. "Lillian is his unforgettable first love, the she-wolf he has always kept in his heart. But she's an Omega. She's too lowly in status to be with my brother."

I locked the phone screen. "What's there to miss about an old wolf who rejected my confessions a thousand times? The young wolf I'm going to mate with this time is much better."

"What are you two talking about? What old wolf? What arranged mating?"

A cold voice came from behind us. I spun around sharply to see a tall figure leaning against the doorframe. It was Jaden.

His eyes were icy, filled with irritation and impatience. "Arabella, what kind of game are you playing this time?"

His tone was cutting, as if everything I did was just to get his attention.

Beryl hurriedly tried to explain, saying, "Jaden, Arabella has—"

Yet before she could say the word 'amnesia', he cut her off.

"Did I ask you? Are you in any position to speak right now?" Jaden snapped back mercilessly. "Arabella, I've already agreed to hold the mating ceremony with you. I expect you to behave yourself. Lillian is carrying my pup now, and her body is fragile. If you cause trouble for Lillian at a time like this, don't blame me for what comes next."

His tone was domineering, leaving no room for argument.

I was stunned for a moment, and then fury surged through me. "You scum! If you're so protective of her, why don't you just go live with your little she-wolf?"

Jaden had not expected me to lash out at him either. He froze, and then his expression became even more vicious. He strode up to me, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me toward the door.

The wounds on my back from the wolfsbane had not fully healed yet. When he yanked me like that, the cuts tore open again, and blood seeped through my clothes.

Jaden threw me violently to the ground. My abdomen slammed into a sharp corner of a table, the pain so intense I could not speak for a long moment.

"Jaden, what are you doing? Arabella is your future Luna. How can you treat her like this over another she-wolf?" Beryl rushed over to help me up.

However, Jaden shoved her away with one hand. His gaze was savage as he walked over to me and threw a punch straight into my stomach. With the heavy sound of impact, my internal organs felt crushed together. I clutched my belly and collapsed to the ground in agony.

Jaden pulled back his fist and looked down at me coldly from above.

"Arabella, I thought you were someone who knew your place, but it turns out you're just as scheming and vicious as the rest. This is just a warning. Every time you manipulate Beryl, I'll hit you until you learn your lesson."

I finally understood how I had gotten all those bruises on my body after waking up. After all, I was the princess of the Northern Silver Wolf Pack—yet someone had dared to lay hands on me.

"Also, the Full Moon Festival banquet is approaching. I originally wanted Lillian to accompany me, but I don't want her to face gossip. I'll bring you instead so that people won't talk. This isn't a discussion; it's a notification. Be at the Pack Altar by 8 pm the day after tomorrow. Don't keep me waiting."

With that, he didn't spare me another glance and left without looking back.

I lay on the ground, my body burning with pain. But my heart was strangely calm.

No matter what, I was still his fiancée. There were certain appearances I had to maintain, so I would fulfill this duty one last time.

Just five more days. In five days, I would embark on my new journey.