Older Isn't Always Better

Arealis City's elite wolf packs held a secret—the head of the Ferguson family, Alpha Evan Ferguson, was a man of contradictions.

He worshipped his Luna, yet his beastly instincts drove him to seek pleasure with other females in the pack.

He treated them like princesses and satisfied all their desires. He only had one rule—they must never allow his wife to learn about the affairs.

After all, she was the one who'd nursed him for three years after his family had betrayed him. She'd even gone on the run with him for 48 days, almost giving her life to restore him to his rightful place in his family.

Evan's newest lover was bolder than everyone else, though. She brazenly taunted me, emboldened by his feelings for her.

"You're just a weak human, Ms. Castillo. I bet you can't endure such intense intimacy, right? Last night, Evan told me I gave him a thrill he's never felt before. Look at all the love bites he's left on me!"

It was at that moment I decided to leave Evan.

As I packed, an ancient emblem tumbled to the floor—an intricately carved wolf sigil, the sacred token of the Ferguson Alpha, gifted only to his destined Luna.

Evan had given it to me when we first mated. Now, it was time to return it.

However, the emblem went missing after I found an exquisite box for it. Instead, a young boy sat in the place of that emblem.

With one look, I could tell that it was 17-year-old Evan. He gazed at me tenderly with his clear blue eyes. "Why are you leaving me, even when I love you so much?"

My belongings and outfits were laid out on the bed. He could immediately tell that I planned to leave the castle.

Evan's thick lashes accentuated his beautiful, gemstone-like eyes.

I couldn't bring myself to tell him the details of his betrayal at 27 years old. So, I brought Evan out of the castle to a pub to show him the pain his 27-year-old self had inflicted on me.

Behind a door, 27-year-old Evan was chatting with his friends in werewolf language.

"I've marked Hannah. Keep that a secret. Bella cannot hear about it."

After a moment of silence, his friends erupted in gleeful cheers.

"God, Evan Ferguson, are you the Wolf King Reincarnate? Why are all those hot werewolf babes into you? I'm so jealous."

"Don't worry, Evan. Everyone here knows that Bella, as smart and kind as she is, is as fragile as a snowflake. We will never utter a word to her."

"We can't quite understand your reason for marrying Bella. She's a human, after all. But as your friends, we will not ruin your plans."

…

Evan was more comfortable speaking werewolf language when I wasn't around. Sometimes, when I was around, he'd speak werewolf language if he wished to freely talk about the women around him.

Evan had no care because he assumed I did not speak his language. Little did he know that I had spent three years learning werewolf language in an attempt to better support him.

Although I was far from being fluent, I had no issue comprehending daily conversations.

I let go of the door handle and looked at the 17-year-old Evan beside me. "Did you hear them?"

He clenched his jaw, his lips trembling. He shot me an apologetic look. It took him a while to muster, "He said he'd marked a werewolf named Hannah, and he wanted to keep it a secret from you."

A werewolf could only have one partner throughout their lives. Two werewolves would mark each other if they were in love. The marking was both a ceremony and a promise, just like wedding ceremonies in human society.

Unfortunately, as a human, I could not complete the marking ritual with Evan. Still, he'd thrown me a grand wedding five years ago, based on the rules of human civilization.

On our wedding day, the whole of Arealis City heard that the leader of the Ferguson family had married a human female and loved her so much.

Alas, it only took him five years to forget about his promise to me. While loving me, he continued seeking pleasure from other women.

Although I had known the truth, it still hurt.

Staring at my feet, I flashed a bitter smile.

"Do I still need to explain the reason I'm leaving?"

Eyes red with tears, Evan wailed in disbelief, "Why did I do that? We've made a vow before the Moon Goddess, swearing to only love each other!"

I tried to sound as calm as possible, but the slight tremor in my voice betrayed my emotional turmoil. "I would like an answer, too. Alas, the goddess did not hear my prayers."

As a human, I had never truly been accepted by the Moon Goddess.

The pack’s rituals, their traditions, were all alien to me.

I had been an outsider, no matter how deeply I loved Evan.

His 17-year-old self looked at me with heartache. Then, he tried to rub his furry head against my cheek.

Evan was blessed with a head of golden curls. They shone like the afternoon sunlight.

I turned my face to the side, looking frigid. "You don't have to make it up to me. You are not the one who betrayed me."

17-year-old Evan had nothing to do with his 27-year-old self who broke our promise.

His younger self moaned and sobbed. Tears fell from his sapphire blue eyes.

"Bella, how did it come to this?"

Evan sounded tearful, lost, and helpless. He couldn't understand why he had stopped loving me at 27 years old, the same way I was confused at the betrayal of my werewolf partner—known for their loyalty.