Love That Can't Be Bought or Sold

When Lucian Wolfe came back, he reeked of wild lily perfume.

That clearly wasn't my scent.

As werewolves, we have a keen sense of smell.

But I just sat calmly by the fireplace, looking at the book in my hands.

Lucian unbuttoned his shirt collar, which still had a faint lipstick mark on it.

He didn't go to shower like usual. Instead, he walked up to me and looked down.

"I'm not sleeping here tonight."

I closed my book, looked up, flashed my white teeth, and said with fake cheerfulness:

"Okay, Alpha. Do you need me to prepare your clothes for tomorrow morning?"

Lucian frowned, but he didn't say anything.

He pulled a black card from his pocket and tossed it on the table.

"This is for you. Go buy some jewelry you like, or whatever."

Here we go again.

Every time he went too far with his fun outside, he'd do this to make himself feel better.

Or rather, he was trying to shut me up.

I reached out my finger, pressed it on the card, and slowly slid it toward me.

"Thank you for your generosity."

Lucian stared at my movement and asked with contempt.

"Audrey, you really are the most sensible one. As long as there's money, you don't care about anything, right?"

Care?

If he knew that the blood flowing through my veins could make the elders kneel, would he still talk like this?

I pushed down the mockery in my heart, keeping a smile on my face.

"Of course. In this world, nothing is more loyal than money, right?"

Lucian let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.

The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from my face.

I walked to the window and watched his black SUV drive into the night, heading toward the other end of the territory.

That's where Sophia Brown lived, the white wolf girl the elders had recently brought back.

My wolf soul howled inside me. It was in pain because it had once recognized Lucian as my mate.

But Lucian didn't know.

Five years ago, when he saved me from the hunters' silver bullets, I recognized him.

Back then, my family was in turmoil. I escaped, badly injured, which weakened my aura.

I chose to hide my aura, using drugs to suppress my bloodline.

I thought fate arranged that as long as I stayed by his side, even as a mistress.

As long as I was good enough, loved him enough, someday this young Alpha would recognize me through our souls.

But he didn't. He thought I was a lowborn rogue werewolf.

For five years, the women around him changed one after another.

He enjoyed my care, my obedience, yet looked down on my background and my greed.

Now, Sophia has arrived.

She is a white wolf of noble lineage, recognized by the elders as the rightful mate of the Alpha.

He doesn't know that with just one word from me, the noble white wolf family would be bankrupt and homeless by tomorrow.

Lucian didn't come back that night.

Neither the next day.

It wasn't until the third evening that he sent a message: "Dinner party tomorrow, dress nicely."

They would publicly announce Sophia's identity at the dinner party.

Did he want me there to humiliate me, or to prove to everyone that he had abandoned me?

I looked at myself in the mirror.

The innocence of eighteen was long gone from my eyes. Now, I only had the clarity of a queen.

I opened the safe and put the black card inside.

The safe was already packed with property deeds, jewelry, and cash checks.

Since you want me to be dignified, I'll show you dignified.

This would be my final test for him.