Chapter 1

Duke changed two months ago, when his childhood friend Sienna came back to the pack after her study tour.

The first thing she did on her return was to see him, and he brought me along, introducing us.

I noticed right then that they had no sense of propriety when it came to each other, but I didn't take it to heart—until he told me that Sienna would be staying in the pack as his assistant in administrative duties.

Since then, he spent a lot more time at work, even working overtime or going on business trips altogether… And eventually not bothering to come home at all.

It was not until two days ago when I heard from a sentry that Duke would always bring Sienna along wherever he went—that was when I finally realized how intimate they had been.

When I left Duke's office after he refused to mark me, I didn't need to go far when Sienna cut me off, smiling smugly at me, "You look pale, Fiona. Did you have a fight with Duke?"

I didn't want to waste time with her and tried to walk past her, only for her to chase after me. "You don't know anything, do you? He's already plenty stressed over the enemies trying to take over the pack, and now you're making more trouble for him over nothing? If you can't help, stay home and stop bothering Duke!"

I smiled faintly as I calmly met her gaze, "I'm the reason he established the Forest Pack in the first place. I know the pack and Duke more than you do."

Seemingly surprised that I would bite back when I was so usually mild-mannered, she noticed the figure behind me and immediately looked aggrieved. "I'm just offering my opinion for you and Duke's sake out of the kindness of my heart. If you don't like it, just say so. Why would you flaunt your importance to Duke and tell me to leave?"

"Who told you to leave?!" Duke growled coolly as he strode past me to Sienna's side. "She's still young, Fiona, and she just started work here. If something she said upset you, just say so! You don't have to tell her to leave."

Still young?

In all likelihood, Duke forgot that Sienna was just three months younger than me.

Feeling the bitterness swelling inside, I rubbed my eyes as I took a deep breath. "I'm not telling her to leave. It's just a fact that the Forest Pack was founded because I—"

"That's enough!" Sienna suddenly cut me short, turning tearfully and miserably toward Duke. "I get it—you got the wrong idea about me and Duke, so you're really hostile to me. But whether you believe me or not, Duke and I were just friends growing up.

"He went through great hardship to establish the Forest Pack—he's the greatest Alpha there is! You can't just look past his accomplishments because you despise me!"

Duke turned toward me right then, frowning. "What did you tell her, Fiona?"

Sienna saw that too, and hung her head as she tugged on Duke's shirt, her tears raining down her cheeks. "It's alright, Duke. I don't want you to be unhappy because of me. Don't blame Fiona, and don't fight her because of me. My parents are gone anyway, and I'm used to be alone—it doesn't matter which pack I'm staying in.

"Since Fiona hates me so much, I should just leave."

"What are you saying?!" Duke hollered right then, not hiding how much he cared about Sienna at all. "That's not what Fiona's saying!"

I couldn't help laughing as I left right then, but it was not until I got home that I realized my tears covered my cheeks.

As if on cue, my mom called right then, "Dear, have you told Duke who you are yet? Is the marking ceremony going as scheduled? You know me and your daddy were hoping you'd find someone from a similar background, but if you insist on Duke, we don't mind—"

"Mom," I cut her short, wiping my tears. "There won't be a marking ceremony."