Chapter 1

The ruling Alpha of this city had established a strict law: any werewolf without a mate by the age of twenty-five must submit to a mandatory match.

I was merely a maid in the Crimson Pack manor, a lowly female Omega.

Mason was the pack's young heir, a natural-born Alpha.

We had lived together as mates for nearly a year—until an official from the Wolf Council Hall contacted me.

"The mate bond you registered is a forgery."

"The Moon Goddess has already arranged your true match. In two days, he will come for you in person."

At that moment, I had no idea that my fated mate was that very legendary Alpha.

The forged mating certificate was incinerated before my eyes, turning into a pile of gray ash.

My throat felt parched and raw as I requested to check Mason's mating records.

The Council clerk tapped on the screen with an indifferent expression, then turned the monitor toward me.

Status: Paired.

Mate: Chloe.

The registration date was eight months ago—the exact same date stamped on my counterfeit certificate.

The day he handed me that fake document, did Mason laugh at me behind my back, thinking I looked like a complete fool dancing in the palm of his hand?

A bone-chilling cold swept through me, leaving me dizzy and faint.

By the time I came to my senses, I was already standing in front of the Crimson Pack manor.

Mason was sitting on the living room sofa, his voice as tender as it always was.

"Where have you been? Why are you back so late?"

My eyes burned crimson. I marched straight up to him and slapped him hard across the face. My inner wolf roared, her claws threatening to rip through my fingertips.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"Why did it have to be her?"

He froze for a second, then a cryptic smirk played on his lips.

Catching my wrists with ease, he pulled my trembling, furious body into his chest.

He already knew why I was lashing out.

"Vivian, Chloe isn't as bad as you make her out to be."

All the strength drained from my body in an instant.

Just like that, with one careless sentence, he brushed aside every ounce of agony I had ever endured.

When I passed out from weeping at my mother's funeral, when Chloe and her friends cornered me in back alleys and beat me black and blue, Mason had held my hands and sworn an oath.

"Your enemies are my enemies, Vivian. I will always be your shield."

I had genuinely believed him.

Yet now he stood right in front of me, saying Chloe's name with a gentleness that tore my heart to shreds.

I wanted to grab his collar, shake him, and demand to know when this betrayal had started. I wanted to ask what else he had hidden from me.

Instead, I dug my nails into my palms, forcing myself to stay rational.

If I could find a mate within three days, the Council's mandatory match could still be revoked.

And besides Mason, I had no one.

I wiped away my tears, a desperate flicker of hope igniting in my eyes.

"Can you... can you sever your bond with her?"

He chuckled softly, reaching out to tap my nose affectionately.

"Now isn't the time to throw a tantrum."

I parted my lips to speak, but his index finger pressed against my mouth, cutting me off.

"Chloe is carrying my pup. I have to give her security."

"Don't worry. Once the pup is born, I'll dissolve the bond with her."

"Vivian, just wait for me a little longer."

My knees wobbled. Tears blurred my vision as I shook my head, wanting to scream that I didn't have time.

In three days, I would be bound to a werewolf I had never even met.

Yet my throat felt choked with cotton. Not a single word would come out.

Mason wasn't done talking.

Now that the secret was out, he dropped all pretenses.