Chapter 3

At 6 o’clock, I received a reminder that the annual hunting ritual would begin in an hour—a sacred tradition for every werewolf hunter.

I hadn’t expected James to join me. Deep down, I knew he must have forgotten. And I was right. He messaged that he was too busy negotiating with an alpha from another pack. There was no need, he said, for us to have dinner together.

The ritual was alive with energy—howls, cheers, and the pounding of paws against the earth. The forest was full of firelight and adrenaline. As the final torch was lit, the crowd reached a fever pitch.

It was time for the Moon Goddess to bless two chosen wolves as ritual ambassadors. Applause erupted the moment the flames crowned the stage—and there they were, standing hand in hand in the torchlight: James and Doris.

The crowd lost its mind. They howled and chanted for them to kiss—an official blessing, a divine union. Doris blushed, lifting her face with a shy smile, and leaned in. Then she kissed him.

But—he pushed her away. Abruptly.

And then... his eyes found me across the sea of wolves.

For a second, time froze. And I realized: he hadn’t forgotten.

My heart remained strangely calm as I looked away, picked up my clothes, and headed for the exit.

James caught up with me, his expression a mess of confusion and frustration.

Perhaps he had finally realized just how indifferent I had been—from the very beginning to the end. It was so unlike the way I used to be.

He explained cautiously, “There were too many witnesses at the ritual. As Alpha, I couldn’t afford to disappoint them during such an important ceremony.”

I nodded and replied flatly, “It’s fine. I understand.”

James froze for a second, then narrowed his eyes. “Are you pretending to be calm because you’re jealous? Saying one thing but meaning another on purpose?”

I smiled faintly. “What’s there to be jealous of?”

Just then, Doris ran over. But due to her high heels, she twisted her ankle and winced in pain.

“It’s killing me, James! What if… what if my wolf loses her ability to run forever?” she choked out, eyes wide with fear —but I could tell she was faking it, just trying to make it look real.

James hesitated, torn between helping her and worrying about how I might react.

Seeing his dilemma, I broke the silence.

“I know how painful a twisted ankle can be. You should take her to the infirmary right away—especially if it might affect her wolf.”

James was visibly stunned by my composure and thoughtfulness. He held my hand.

“I’ll take her to the nearest infirmary. Would you mind waiting for me at the gate?”

“No problem,” I answered casually.

James stared at me for a while, as if searching for some hidden emotion. But I wasn’t angry—not even a little.

Finally, he let go of my hand and carried Doris on his back, rushing off.

But this time, I had no intention of waiting for him like a fool.

I quietly turned and left on my own.

As I did, I received a mind-link from Jessica, one of our she-wolf warriors. Her voice was tense.

A group of rogues has invaded the territory. Many of our warriors are injured. We need your help.

I cut the link and headed to the scene immediately.

It was a brutal battle, but in the end, we managed to drive them out.

My fellow warriors praised my efforts, but when the topic of my upcoming departure came up, their faces turned somber.

“Kelly, are you really going to the Northern Territory?”

“I am,” I nodded firmly.

“But… we heard you’re going to become our Luna,” one of them said hesitantly.

“Are you giving up on Alpha James?”

I paused, smiled slightly, and said, “Protecting the pack comes first.”

Besides, to James, I was never anything special.

I was exhausted by the time I returned to our den. But the moment I opened the door, I saw Doris again.

She walked out of our bedroom wearing James’s shirt—her bare legs shamelessly on display.

There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment on her face. If anything, she looked pleased.

“Kelly, don’t get the wrong idea,” she said, tilting her head slightly with a faint, smug smile.

“It was just too late to go back to my own den after leaving the infirmary. James brought me here himself—to rest and look after me, since no one else was around to help. Sweet of him, don’t you think?”

I sneered, about to speak, when James stepped out of the bathroom, a deep frown on his face.

“Kelly, I really don’t want to start a fight this early. Doris is coming with me to the Council, but she doesn’t have any clothes here, so I told her to wear yours—”

“I’m okay with it,” I cut him off.

Both of them were stunned by how calmly I responded.

James stared at me, disbelief in his eyes. Maybe he thought I should’ve been angry, jealous, or at least upset.

He tried to explain, “Doris didn’t sleep in the same room as me last night. Don’t overthink it.”

“I haven’t thought that far,” I interrupted again. “You grew up together, right? She’s like your little sister. Of course, she can come here whenever she likes. There’s always a room ready for her. This might as well be her own den—with or without my permission. Isn’t that right?”

James paused, then seemed relieved by my answer.

“I’m glad you feel that way. I really hope you two can get along.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

One of my soldiers had come to pick up the packages and boxes stacked in the living room.

Only then did James notice them. His expression darkened as he walked over.

“What is all this? These are the gifts I gave you. You’re throwing them away?”

Before I could explain, he spotted the moonstone ring.

“Even this one?” His voice cracked slightly. “You don’t want to keep this either?”

That ring… I remembered when he gave it to me.

Back then, he hadn’t yet become Alpha. His parents had just passed, and the pack was in turmoil.

He had promised me—no matter what, he would make me his Luna when he rose to power.

I believed him. But reality had proven far crueler than I expected.

The bond between three wolves was never meant to balance. So I gave up.

To stop him from reading too much into it, I said lightly, “Don’t misunderstand. I’m not throwing them away. I just want to fix some of them. They’re old and damaged.”

“These things are precious to me. Why wouldn’t I keep them?”

James’s shoulders finally relaxed, sensing the calm in my voice hadn’t wavered.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll have the servants make new cabinets to store them.”

I nodded. “Aren’t you going to the Werewolf Council? You should hurry. I’m going to sleep.”

Without waiting for a reply, I walked to the bedroom and shut the door behind me.

James stood outside, clearly wanting to say more—but I had already locked it.