Chapter 1

Once, a perfumer had accidentally splashed a drop of lily essential oil onto my wrist, and the skin had turned red right away. That very same day, Grayson Blackthorn made sure the shop disappeared from the pack entirely.

The old Grayson would have been furious over my allergic reaction. But now, he stood before my hospital bed, shielding Avery Darkcrest—an Omega in a floral dress—and telling me not to make things difficult for her.

"As the florist, shouldn't she be held responsible for delivering the wrong flowers?" I asked, doing my best to keep my voice calm and steady.

Grayson's expression faltered almost imperceptibly, but he quickly regained his usual gentleness.

"Clara, don't overthink it. I just don't want to impose such a harsh punishment on our anniversary."

"Then transfer her to another territory," I replied.

I wanted to change the course of this nightmare, and perhaps keeping Avery away from us was one way to do it.

Avery's face went pale. "Alpha Grayson, I'm begging you—"

Grayson ignored her and affectionately ruffled my hair. "Okay. We'll do as you say."

Then, he and the council elders left with Avery.

I leaned against the headboard, my fingertips still a little cold.

Originally, I'd planned to wait until the end of the evening to tell Grayson that I was with pup. But now, I wasn't so sure anymore.

Just then, a message from Grayson popped up on my phone.

"Tonight, I'll be waiting for you in the rooftop garden at The Meridian Club."

I looked at the message and smiled faintly.

He hadn't changed, after all. He never made a fuss over important occasions, but he always made sure everything was arranged well in advance.

The familiar warmth and sweetness washed away the unease that had settled in my chest. I decided to take this opportunity to tell Grayson the news in person.

But when I arrived at the rooftop garden, I saw Avery—the very Omega who was supposed to have been sent away—sitting in Grayson's lap. Several of his trusted inner circle sat nearby.

"Alpha Grayson, what if Luna Clara finds out you made Avery your personal assistant instead of sending her away? What if she throws a fit?"

I stood behind the wall of flowers, my heart sinking a little deeper with every passing second.

Grayson took a sip of his whiskey and chuckled.

"Avery cried and begged me for so long, and she's been with me for two years. Not to mention, today's our anniversary. I couldn't very well kick her out, right? As for Clara…"

His tone was confident. "As long as none of you tell her, she'll never find out. Avery's simple-minded, so she won't make a scene in front of Clara either."

A loud buzzing filled my head, and all the color drained from my face.

It turned out Grayson had been cheating on me for two whole years. What I'd thought was a correction had been nothing but a laughable, futile effort.

Someone asked curiously, "But Alpha Grayson, aren't you afraid that the dream you had might come true?"

Grayson's expression darkened instantly.

The crowd, which had been chattering noisily just moments before, fell silent.

An oppressive stillness settled over the entire rooftop garden.

Avery seemed to glance in my direction. Then, she slipped her arms around Grayson's neck and cooed in a sweet, soft voice, "It was just a dream."

Grayson snapped out of his thoughts, the corners of his lips lifting into a faint smile.

"That's right. Avery could never be the kind of hypocritical, vicious Omega in that dream, and I'm also not the Alpha who was caught completely unprepared in it. As long as I cut off Clara's escape routes, she'll never be able to leave my side."

He swirled the whiskey in his glass. "Besides, ever since I had that dream, Clara has become more clingy and terrified that I'd abandon her. So, I'm pretty sure she won't blame me for a momentary lapse in judgment."

Each word felt like a knife in my chest.

In a panic, I fled the rooftop garden. I was so distraught that I even forgot to take the elevator.

I stumbled down the stairs as fast as I could. Only when I finally made it home did I dare to let my tears fall.

But I still had my pup to think about. I couldn't just stand by and watch the nightmare come true.

I took out my phone and searched for a number I had once believed I would never need.

"How long would it take to apply for a travel permit to the Frostfang pack?" I asked.

"Five days."

That was enough time for me to get everything in order and leave.