Chapter 4

I scanned my access chip again, but the gate to the underground garage remained stubbornly closed. From behind the barrier, I instantly recognized that silver sports car—the very one Alpha Josh had sworn he’d gift me just two months ago.

But the one stepping out of it now wasn’t me.

It was Noah.

She walked with a light, confident sway, her tight skirt accentuating every curve. On her lips hung that demure little smile Alpha loved so much. She glanced at me—a look as sharp as a blade, slicing across my face without leaving a trace of emotion.

She didn’t even bother pretending to be sweet anymore. With practiced ease, she pulled out a blood-red Mate Bond Certificate—the sacred contract that sealed a soul tie in our werewolf world—and waved it lightly in front of Alpha Josh.

“Josh,” she said in a soft, trembling voice, “as soon as the Pack Administration Hall opens tomorrow, I’ll dissolve our bond. That way, you can hold Abigail’s Luna coronation without a care.”

I sneered. Her performance was flawless—voice quivering, eyes brimming with tears. She played the victim so well, like a heartbroken girl being forced out of love.

Alpha Josh gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, his voice sickeningly tender.

“Silly girl, just wait a little longer. Abigail’s not marrying anyone else. She can wait for me, no matter how many years it takes.”

Fingers intertwined, they walked into the place I once called home.

I stood frozen, watching their backs disappear inside. My mind was blank. The pain had long since gone numb—what remained was a bone-deep exhaustion that swallowed everything else.

Without hesitation, I booked a hotel room.

But even temporary shelter couldn’t ease the suffocating tightness in my chest. The walls felt like they were closing in. I changed into workout gear and went to the nearby wolf-run training park to run it off.

The night wind slashed against my face, my footsteps pounding the ground in a desperate rhythm, like I was trying to outrun everything. But the hollowness in my chest clung tight, refusing to loosen its grip.

And then—I saw them again.

Alpha Josh was out for a night run—with her.

The same Alpha who despised sweat and hated the wind now patiently listened as she chattered away, her laughter ringing like little bells through the dark.

My fists clenched—not out of jealousy, but disgust.

I turned away, shoved my earbuds in, and sprinted faster. My thoughts faded into static—until I felt something… off.

A strange aura crept up behind me.

Suddenly, a hand clamped over my mouth and nose, yanking me backward with brutal force.

I slammed into an unfamiliar car. Pain shot through my spine, and my wolf blood surged.

I thrashed, trying to summon my Alpha instincts to fight back—but the pressure was overwhelming. Whoever this was, they carried a beast’s strength and authority.

Through the reflection in the car’s window, I caught a glimpse of her face—a woman who looked eerily like Noah.

Not identical, but close enough to make my scalp prickle.

“If you dare steal my daughter’s Alpha,” she hissed, her voice a venomous whisper, “then you deserve to die.”

My heart plummeted. Her power was far beyond what I’d expected.

I scanned the area frantically, hoping for a miracle.

And then I saw Zach—not far off, speaking into a comm crystal. I waved frantically, signaling for help.

But he looked me straight in the eye… and turned away.

He and the two warriors with him left, as if nothing had happened.

That’s when I realized—I’d been set up.

The parking pass, the wedding dress, even this ambush… it was all part of a hunt.

And I was the prey.

A sharp blow struck the back of my head. My consciousness shattered, my wolf form and human form crashing violently within me. Darkness swallowed everything.

When I woke, the air reeked of blood.

My limbs felt like lead. A werewolf’s body temperature should’ve been steady, but I was ice-cold.

I opened my eyes to a blurry ceiling—an old, stained motel.

The bedsheets beneath me were soaked in blood.

And on the floor… lay a body.

Noah’s mother.

Her face was pale, drained of color. A pool of fresh blood spread beneath her.

I tried to move, but before I could sit up, the door burst open with a deafening crash.

“Abigail!!”

Alpha Josh stormed in, his face dark with fury. Behind him came an entire unit of warriors, weapons drawn, eyes blazing.

“Mom!”

Noah ran in behind them, screaming. She collapsed beside her mother, sobbing uncontrollably, her hands trembling as she tried to wake her.

“You said we still had time to go to the spa… You said you’d wait until I completed my mate bond… How could you—how could you just…”

Then her head snapped up, her eyes slicing through me like daggers.

“Abigail!” she shrieked. “What have you done?! Why would you hurt my mom?! She was sick already—how could you do this?!”

Alpha Josh’s expression twisted into something terrifying. The wolf blood in him turned his irises a chilling silver. The scent of blood made his phobia flare.

He pulled out his emergency healing crystal with a shaking hand, but that didn’t stop him from exploding.

He kicked me square in the chest, wolf claws slamming into my ribs. A metallic tang filled my throat—I could barely breathe.

“Abigail, you’ve disappointed me beyond words!” he roared, like I had desecrated something sacred.

Noah threw herself into his arms, sobbing harder.

“This is all my fault… I shouldn’t have asked you to find her… I just wanted to save my mom…”

Her cries were soft, fragile, heartbreaking.

Alpha Josh’s rage deepened. He turned to Zach, voice like thunder:

“I told you to keep an eye on her! What the hell were you doing?!”

Zach didn’t flinch. After exchanging a glance with the other warriors, he responded in a steady voice, “Miss Abigail was too fast. She lost us.”

What a convenient lie.

Alpha Josh didn’t doubt it for a second.

After all, I had once been the fastest warrior in the entire Green Pack, undefeated in countless races. It was plausible enough.

He swallowed back his nausea and wrapped Noah in his arms, murmuring, “She’ll be okay… I’ll protect both of you…”

The woman on the ground twitched slightly, but her eyes remained closed.

I let out a bitter laugh. Blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

“Stop crying,” I said hoarsely. “Keep that up and your mom really won’t make it.”

Noah snapped.

She grabbed the knife from the floor, fury eclipsing all reason, and lunged at me.

“I gave him back to you! What more do you want?! Abigail, do you even have a heart?!”

The blade came within a foot of my face—I could smell the iron in the air.

Then—

Alpha Josh dove forward, seizing her wrist and wrenching the weapon away.

Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms, holding her like something impossibly fragile.