Chapter 4

Blake's expression was unreadable, but the sudden spike of agitated pine-scented pheromones in the air gave away his unease.

When he saw me turn around, he strode over, trying to intimidate me with his size. "Why are you with my uncle?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Harrison shot him a look. The commanding aura of a former pack commander rolled off him in waves as he said coolly, "I don't owe you an explanation."

Just one sentence was enough to completely crush the oppressive aura Blake had been radiating.

Blake's expression shifted slightly as a low growl escaped his throat.

Only then did I belatedly remember that, before the incident left him paralyzed, Harrison had been an elite operative in the North Aforian Werewolf Alliance's Special Forces.

He'd spent years on the front lines hunting feral vampires and Rogues and had once held an incredibly prestigious position.

That incident was nothing more than a cruel twist of fate. It was never the end for a top predator like him.

Clutching the document, Blake did his best to maintain the dignity of the future pack leader as he said, "I just didn't want to trouble you, Uncle Harrison."

What a joke. Funny how only now, when everything had already happened, did he not want to trouble him.

"Uncle Harrison, I need to speak with my… I need to speak to Stella alone. Mind giving us some space?"

He still couldn't bring himself to say "my mate", probably because every wolf in North Aforia had already received that declaration letter.

Harrison's gaze shifted to me. I gave him a small nod.

He backed his wheelchair up to the colonnade before stopping at a respectful distance. He was far enough that he couldn't hear our conversation, yet close enough to keep the entire courtyard in clear view, ready to step in at a moment's notice.

Blake frowned, clearly hating the feeling of being watched by a higher-ranked wolf, but not daring to throw a fit.

He turned his attention back to me and immediately went on the offensive. "Stella, why did you sell the amulet?"

I'd had Paige list it on the underground supernatural black market that day. I never expected it would somehow end up back in Blake's hands again.

"It had a gross scent on it, so of course I got rid of it," I answered nonchalantly.

Blake was momentarily at a loss for words. "Fine then. You can just make me a better one later. That day, I was only sounding you out. I didn't expect you to actually sell it."

He paused, sounding oddly pleased with himself as he continued, "Don't you think you're listening to your Alpha a little too well?

"What if I decided to make Sophia my official second mate one day and told you to get out of her way? Would you happily help organize the ceremony too?"

I stared at him in disbelief.

I got rid of that thing because it grossed me out, yet his narcissism led him to believe a casual remark from him had control over my instincts. And he actually had the nerve to say something so ridiculous.

His overconfidence was so absurd I almost laughed out loud. I was done wasting my breath. Pulling out the invitation to the bonding ceremony, I held it out to him. "If you're done, I'm leaving. Here's your invi—"

The werewolf packs on the East Coast valued proper etiquette, so naturally, I had to hand-deliver an invitation to him personally.

But before I could even finish speaking, Blake impatiently snatched the wax-sealed invitation out of my hand. He asked nonchalantly, "I heard the ceremony is set for four days from now?

"I'm taking Sophia to the Procktoms for a yacht show and to patrol the borders, so I'm not sure if I'll make it back in time. Why don't you tell my grandmother to push the date back by a day?"

I looked at him in disbelief, finding his words completely absurd. Neither of us had brought up the fact that he intentionally tampered with the declaration letter.

So now, I was pledging myself to Harrison Sterling instead, exactly as the declaration stated. But it seemed like he had completely forgotten all of that. Or maybe, deep down, he never took the letter seriously to begin with, still dead-set on the idea that I was desperate to be with him.

Blake was either so unbelievably arrogant or just totally dismissive of the invitation, because he didn't even bother to sniff it to see whose scent was on it.

When I didn't answer, he sighed before acting like he was doing me a massive favor. "Alright, fine. I'll try to make it back in time to mark you."

As he lowered his head to look at the invitation, a bright voice suddenly rang out. "Blake!"

Sophia sprang into his arms like a rabbit, and Blake caught her instinctively. As she hugged his waist, she said with a bright smile, "I've already packed everything for our trip to the Procktoms."

Then, as if just noticing I was there, she hurriedly let go of him. She deliberately fiddled with the sapphire ring on her finger, saying, "Stella, don't get the wrong idea. I was just—"

"She knows there's nothing going on between us," Blake said, shoving the invitation into his suit pocket without a second glance.

He then ruffled Sophia's hair. "She knows you're just my assistant. She won't overthink things."

Sophia's breath hitched. She bit her lip, forcing a tight smile. "Stella, you really do have the grace of a Luna. I thought that if one truly loved an Alpha, one's she-wolf would be going crazy with jealousy seeing something like this."

Blake froze for a moment. He finally looked at my completely unbothered face, and a flicker of genuine unease crossed his eyes. "Stella, you—"

"I have things to do. I'm leaving."

He quickly nodded, his voice still full of that same misplaced confidence. "Right. You should get yourself ready. Once you're officially part of the Sterling family, I'll be sure to treat you well."

As I didn't want to waste another single word on him, I just turned and walked away.