Chapter 3

James POV

An indescribable irritation surged up inside me.

I hated this feeling of losing control.

Stella shouldn't have reacted this way.

She should cry, make a scene, demand to know why I was treating her like this.

Then I could smoothly throw all my cutting words in her face and make her leave my world for good.

But she didn't.

She just calmly offered her blessing and walked away.

"James, this..."

The people around me were at a loss.

Grace gently tugged my sleeve.

"James, did I say something wrong? Stella seems really upset."

I suppressed that strange feeling and snorted coldly.

"Upset? She's faking."

Even as I said this, I couldn't help watching her.

Stella sat in the corner. Brian walked over, his face full of worry as he spoke to her in a low voice.

Stella shook her head, even wearing a reassuring smile.

That smile made me angry.

Brian suddenly looked up, glaring at me furiously.

He moved Stella behind him protectively and strode over.

"James!"

Brian's voice crackled with towering rage.

"What do you mean, saying all that in front of everyone?"

I looked at him.

"I'm just showing everyone my choice. What's the problem?"

"Cut the act!"

Brian was so angry he could barely speak.

"The things you have done to Stella, don't think I don't know. Are you even human?"

"What did I do?"

I couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just having my mate meet everyone early, so certain people stop clinging to fantasies they shouldn't have. I'm helping your sister face reality sooner."

"You."

Brian raised his fist to swing at me.

"Brian!"

......

Stella POV

I rushed over and grabbed his arm.

Looking at my brother Brian, I gently shook my head.

Attacking the Alpha's son in the Pack wasn't a smart move.

I was leaving the Pack, but I didn't want my brother to betray it.

Seeing this, Grace quickly hugged James's arm and said softly to Brian:

"Brian, don't be angry. It's all a misunderstanding. James didn't mean any harm."

As she spoke, she seemed to lose her balance, her body tilting.

The coffee cup in her hand slipped, and the entire contents spilled perfectly onto my clothes.

"Ah!"

Grace gasped and immediately grabbed a cloth to wipe the stain on my chest.

"I'm so sorry, Stella! I didn't mean to. Please don't be mad."

I felt her hand seemingly wiping but actually pulling hard at my clothes.

My shirt got dirtier with each wipe.

I swatted Grace's hand away.

"Don't touch me."

Grace stumbled back a step. Her eyes instantly reddened as she looked at James with a pitiful expression.

"James, I..."

James's anger flared.

He pulled Grace protectively behind him and snapped at me.

"Stella, what's your problem! Grace apologized. What more do you want?"

I looked at him and found it laughable.

Without saying anything, I pushed open the Council Hall door to leave.

I saw a dark shadow charging toward the pups playing outside!

A rogue!

I whipped my head around and shouted at James.

"James! Rogue attack! The pups! Go protect them!"

You're the Alpha's son. You should protect them.

But he looked toward the rogue's direction, then glanced at Grace beside him.

Then I saw him move.

His action had a clear target. Protecting Grace first.

Those pups didn't matter to him as much as a single hair on Grace's head.

I didn't have time to think.

I lunged straight for the nearest little one.

The poor thing was curled up in a trembling ball. The rogue's claws were already swinging down.

Forgive me. I had no combat experience and hadn't gotten familiar with my wolf yet.

All I could do was turn my back toward the attack.

"Stella!"

Brian's heart-wrenching shout was drowned out by the massive impact.

Searing pain exploded from my back. I was thrown into the air and slammed hard into the ground.

The pup in my arms was completely unharmed, lying obediently against me.

My consciousness began to blur.

The last thing I saw was James, having dealt with the rogue, looking down tenderly and anxiously comforting Grace.

I felt a kind of sorrow.

Not just for James's neglect of me.

But because, as the Alpha's son, he was so indifferent to the Pack's pups.

Would someone like him become a better Alpha than his father?