Chapter 4

Derrick moved into the small apartment he used for handling urgent pack matters.

It was likely my sudden decision to hold a marking ceremony had made him feel suffocated, and he went there to get some peace and quiet.

That was fine. At least we could both have a breather.

I quietly packed my luggage.

I listed the house we were living in on a real estate website.

During the afternoon I handed the keys over to the agent, I stayed behind to sort through some loose items and found a project file tucked inside a magazine.

A quick glance told me it was something Derrick had been working on recently.

After hesitating briefly, I decided to deliver it to him.

When I arrived, the apartment door was tightly shut.

Faint laughter and conversation drifted from inside. Derrick was not alone.

I raised my hand to knock.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice from within. She sounded a little distressed.

“Alpha, this is all my fault. It was my first time attending a marking ceremony, I didn’t know any better. Now pack members are saying I’m your mistress. Several colleagues even asked me privately if there’s something going on between us.

“You’ll have to help clarify things for me in the pack. Otherwise, I won’t even have the face to show myself anymore.”

My raised hand froze midair.

Before Derrick could respond, his Beta cut in with a teasing laugh.

“Come on now. Do you really want him to clear things up, or are you just hoping he would say something else?”

A wave of suggestive laughter followed.

Lianna responded with a coy 'oh, stop it,' but there wasn’t a trace of real annoyance in her voice.

“Alright, that’s enough. Stop teasing her.”

Derrick’s voice carried a casual indulgence. “Lianna, you don’t need to take these kinds of things to heart. Give it some time. They will forget.”

'Give it some time, and they will forget.'

Those words suddenly triggered a memory.

Back then, I had gone to help him with some pack affairs.

He had absentmindedly draped an arm over my shoulder, only to be seen by an Omega passing by.

That very afternoon, he made a casual clarification within the pack. He told everyone not to misunderstand and to focus on their work.

At the time, I understood why he did it. To avoid unnecessary gossip, I stopped going to see him altogether.

My fingertips turned cold. What he had minded was never the idea of an office relationship itself.

It was the shewolf he was being seen with. That was me.

I was a shewolf who could offer him nothing in his career.

Another werewolf asked curiously, “By the way, Alpha, what did you end up doing about Celine? I actually received her marking ceremony invitation this morning. That was sudden!”

After a brief silence, Derrick chuckled. It was completely devoid of warmth. “Let her do as she pleases.

“I’ve always indulged her for the small things, but this time, she needs to understand that some things aren’t solved by throwing a tantrum.”

“Oh?” someone jeered. “So you’ve already decided not to show up?”

Derrick said nothing. That was silent acknowledgement.

Another werewolf hesitated before speaking. His tone was cautious.

“Alpha, do you really want to make things this tense? You and Celine have been together for so many years. We’ve all been waiting for your marking ceremony. We're all extremely eager–"

He paused before making a half-joking speculation.

“You’ve been avoiding a marking ceremony all this time. Don’t tell me you’ve got other plans? Could it be because of Lianna? If she were the one, you’d have marked her long ago, wouldn’t you?”

“Jack!” Lianna cut him off with a chuckle, “Please don’t make jokes like that about me. Alpha knows what he’s doing.”

The last few words were soft, yet they carried a deep meaning.

Derrick didn’t bother explaining.

There were chuckles from the room.

Another werewolf chimed in. “If you ask me, Alpha’s already been more than devoted. Anyone else would’ve lost patience by now.

“Besides causing trouble, what else can Celine do for you? She doesn’t even take part in pack governance. She's unlike Lianna, who's smart, sensible, and actually useful when it matters.”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Lianna interrupted with mock reproach.

Outside the door, the motion-sensor light had gone out at some point.

The hallway fell into darkness.

I gently placed the envelope on the floor by the door. I nudged it toward the door with my toes.

I then turned around and walked away.