Chapter 3

After leaving the pack, I quickly settled into a position at Adrian's pack.

On my very first day, he set up a private office for me and personally showed me how to handle the paperwork.

Slowly, I realized he wasn't at all what the Moon Goddess had described — some reckless, debauched Alpha. He was deeply invested in his pack's affairs, handling almost everything himself.

I actually admired him.

During this time, I didn't hear from Serena once. It was as if she truly didn't care.

Until one day.

Serena's Beta came to Adrian's pack to discuss a partnership. Just as I was about to present the project proposal, he pointed at me and shouted.

"Wait — isn't that Ethan? No wonder he hasn't been around Serena lately. He traded up to Adrian."

His voice echoed through the conference room. Everyone turned and started whispering.

Adrian's expression turned cold. He fixed the Beta with a hard stare. "He's my employee now. Show some respect."

The Beta didn't care. He sneered. "Employee? No wonder the Alpha keeps saying someone's been leaking classified projects. So it was you all along."

I could take his insults. But I wouldn't take a false accusation.

"Where's your proof?"

He had none, of course, but pushed on anyway. "Alpha Serena said—"

I cut him off. "Alpha this, Alpha that — are you her lapdog? You just do whatever she says?"

"You—!"

The Beta snatched a glass of water from the table and hurled it at me. My only good shirt was soaked.

Adrian had been holding back, trying not to escalate things between the two packs. But the moment that water hit me, something in him snapped. He stepped in front of me, shielding me behind him.

He towered over Serena's Beta, his aura so commanding the entire room held its breath. "You claim my employee stole your pack's secrets? Then prove it. If you can't, I'll have you thrown out for slandering one of my employees."

The Beta stumbled back two steps. He hadn't expected Adrian to risk offending an allied pack over a regular employee.

"And tell Serena this — disrespecting my people means disrespecting me. This partnership is over."

He grabbed my hand and walked out of the conference room without looking back, leaving the Beta's delegation standing there, stunned.

He pulled me all the way to his office, hand in hand. People stared as we passed. Some even stared at us with flushed cheeks, whispering among themselves.

I didn't dare breathe the entire way. Once we reached his office, he tossed me a clean shirt.

"What's this?" I asked.

He turned his head away, awkward. "Just put it on. With your build, you don't even pass for a werewolf. If you get sick, I'm the one who'll have to deal with it."

I looked at the shirt in my hands, grateful beyond words.

Adrian was a full size bigger than me. His shirt hung on me like a sack.

He glanced over, and — he actually laughed. Then, maybe intentionally, he walked up and gave my waist a light pinch.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"You're way too skinny," he said, grinning.

My face burned. I thanked him and practically fled his office.

What I didn't see was Adrian standing behind me, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the spot where I'd disappeared.