Chapter 2

After I dried my hands, my phone lit up.

[The succession ceremony is ready.]

[Please return to our territory as soon as possible, Princess.]

[Understood.]

Right after I sent my reply, I went into the bedroom to pack.

The moment I opened the closet, I froze.

There was a set of unfamiliar white-laced lingerie inside.

It was boldly revealing. The skirt was so short it barely covered anything. It looked as if it had been left there as an open challenge.

I took it off the hanger.

Upon looking more closely, I noticed unmistakable stains on the fabric.

Right then, I heard the bedroom door being opened.

Liam walked in.

He was visibly stunned when he saw what I was holding.

He then casually took it from me.

"Caspar and the guys had their girlfriends over a few days ago. They must've left it here."

I lowered my head and clenched the hem of my shirt tightly.

It wasn't because I was heartbroken. Instead, it was because I was so disgusted I wanted to throw up.

Liam clearly misunderstood.

He casually ruffled my hair like he was comforting a well-trained pet.

"Ella, do you know what I like most about you?"

Before I could answer, he chuckled.

"You're obedient. No matter what happens, you never make things difficult for me."

I'd heard those words countless times.

It was as if that was all I was meant to be.

I was never jealous or demanding. I was more like a perfectly trained pet instead of a shewolf.

"What happened with Chloe is in the past.

"Giving her a marking ceremony is just my way of making up for what happened back then."

His words brought me back to the day we first met in the wastelands.

Back then, he'd been badly injured and was barely clinging to life.

For a long time afterward, he wandered through each day in a daze and barely spoke.

I treated his wounds, and I made him laugh. We relied on each other to survive.

Gradually, he opened up to me.

Once he'd recovered, he brought me back to Silver Moon Pack.

His elite friends all assumed I was a rogue and treated me like a tool for entertainment.

But because of Liam, I chose to stay.

It wasn't until much later that I learned the truth. The reason he'd wandered into the wastelands in the first place was because Chloe had dumped him.

So when she returned, I became the one who could be discarded without a second thought.

"Well, I'd better go."

Liam glanced at his watch and headed for the door without hesitation.

Maybe it was because the power in my blood was becoming impossible to suppress, or maybe years of buried resentment had finally reached its limit.

I clenched my jaw and grabbed his wrist.

"Liam, can't you stay?"

He looked at me helplessly.

"I can't. I promised Chloe I'd help her take off her makeup tonight. I can't break my promise."

I almost laughed.

If keeping promises mattered that much to him, then why had every promise he'd ever made to me been broken?

"Oh, okay."

I let go immediately.

To my surprise, Liam took my hand instead. His voice was gentle.

"When I get back, I'll bring you your favorite honey cake."

The truth was that I'd never liked desserts.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Satisfied, Liam left. He never came home that night.

-

The next morning, Chloe posted a new update.

It was only a photo.

She showed a peace sign. At the edge of the frame, a sliver of white lace peeked into view.

I recognized it instantly.

It was the lingerie that had been hanging in my closet yesterday.

The comments quickly went wide.

[So hot!]

[Congratulations, girl! Your dream finally came true!]

[Was the Alpha amazing last night?]

Chloe replied with a blushing emoji.

[Of course he was!]

Feeling nauseous, I locked my phone right away.