Maiikling Kwento tungkol sa Plot Twists at Werewolf, at mga Nobela ng Alpha na may Contract Marriage

I arranged a lavish dinner cruise in Alpha Lucien Grimfang's honor. However, I mistakenly wore the ceremonial gown that had once belonged to his late Luna, Sylvia Wilder. In front of all the guests, his ten-year-old son, Rhett Grimfang, suddenly rammed me into the champagne tower. The shattered crystal glasses left deep cuts across my skin. "Don't think that you can replace my mother just because you're wearing her sacred gown! You're nothing but a dog—obedient and always at my father's beck and call! Don't you dare dream of claiming a Luna's honor!" His cold, scornful expression mirrored Lucien's perfectly. "I can make you leave anytime I want!" I forced myself to look up at the pup I had raised. "Don't trouble yourself. Tomorrow, I'll submit my resignation to the Elder Council and leave for good."

By the third year of my mate bond with Caesar, the reigning Alpha, the she-wolf who had once abandoned him returned. For the thousand-and-first time, I launched into my well-rehearsed performance—the devoted, desperate mate. "Do you still love me?" I asked. And for the thousand-and-first time, Caesar turned away without a word, his silence a colder rejection than any shout. On the surface, I was the picture of heartbreak. Behind closed doors, I went straight to Caesar's uncle to collect a hefty payment for my performance. "Three years of this acting," I said. "Can I leave now?"

A few decades ago, human birth rates started dropping. The federal government tried everything, and they finally introduced a matching program that paired humans with werewolves based on genetic compatibility, hoping that cross-species unions would stabilize the population. High compatibility meant the human could stabilize a werewolf during their heat cycles, which was why the government prioritized it above everything else. The program came with a one-year trial period. I was assigned to the Stone brothers. Every night, I prepared two bowls of herbal broth for them. After a long patrol along the border, it helps restore their energy and speeds up wound healing. The older brother was cold and distant, but he would take the bowl politely and say thank you. The younger one was short-tempered. He often smashed his bowl and shouted at me. I thought I was being fair to both. Until my friend saw it one day and asked me hesitantly, "Do you not think that is unfair to the one who treats you better?" I thought about it all night. She was right. That evening, I came out of the kitchen with only one bowl of herbal broth.

During our marking ceremony, the patrol leader of my arranged mate, Alpha Cassian Locke, asks me to swear in the name of the Moon Goddess before all the other werewolves. First, I shall not enter the Alpha's room without permission. Second, I shall not kiss the Alpha on any part of his body without permission. Third, I shall not do anything that may cause the Alpha to feel uneasy. The list goes on. Suppressing my anger, I listen as he recites all 188 vows in the oath. Then, I turn to the werewolf sitting on the side with an upright posture. "Alpha Cassian, could you please explain the 99th vow? What do you mean, I must raise your heir no matter whose pup they are?"