Chapter 1

Kael's father, Roderick, was the Alpha of BlackPine Pack.

He had just pulled the family business back from the brink of collapse.

And the first thing he did was force his son to divorce me.

"Cut ties with her. I'll find you a partner worthy of you."

"A full-time housewife who only knows how to stay in the kitchen doesn't deserve to be BlackPine Pack's Luna."

"I must have been blind to agree to your marriage in the first place."

I could only laugh softly at his words.

A year ago, when his family business imploded, it was me who anonymously bought up all his bad debts and filled the hole for him.

Without my intervention, he wouldn't have any of his current glory.

His entire family would have become homeless rogues.

My phone screen lit up. My assistant, Liam, CEO of NorthPeak Capital, sent me an audio file.

I didn't open it. The accompanying text summary already made the sordid contents clear.

On the dining table sat a glass of warm milk I'd just prepared, mixed with calming herbs to soothe a werewolf's restless mind.

Kael had been stressed about Pack affairs for the past six months.

Every night, I'd prepare this milk and wait for him to emerge from his study in the late hours.

The sound of the password lock came from outside.

Kael was home.

He looked exhausted, giving me a cursory glance before heading straight to his study and closing the door heavily.

Once, he used to hold me first thing when he came home, sharing the day's events.

Now, only silence remained between us.

I picked up the milk and walked to the study door, knocking before pushing it open.

"You've been up half the night. Have some warm milk to help you relax."

He glanced at it, his brow furrowing.

"That again. I told you I'm sick of it."

My hand hung in midair, white steam from the glass blurring my vision.

I suddenly remembered three years ago when we registered our marriage.

Back then, he'd just taken over BlackPine Pack's mess, losing sleep every night over Pack affairs.

I'd stayed up with him until dawn every night, preparing this calming milk.

He used to hold me and say he could never live without this companionship,

that with me there, he could move forward with peace of mind.

He didn't look at me again, his gaze returning to the screen.

He coldly threw out a sentence. "Get out. Don't disturb my work."

I silently took the glass and left, closing the door behind me.

The entire house fell completely silent.

When Kael emerged from the study, it was already late into the night.

At the dinner table, we sat in silence.

He ate a few bites before putting down his fork.

"Elara, we need to talk."

I looked up at him.

"This can't go on." His gaze was evasive. "Our lives are no longer on the same level."

"My father's company is back on track, bigger than ever before.

BlackPine Pack's position in North America is completely secure."

"And you. You stay home all day with no job, no social circle of your own, completely disconnected from the outside world."

He seemed to finally gather his courage and looked at me.

"I think we should separate for a while. Give each other some space to think."

I looked at his determined face and suddenly laughed.

"Fine."

One word blocked all the arguments he'd prepared in his throat.

He froze, clearly not expecting me to agree so readily.

I stood up to clear the table.

"Kael," I said with my back to him, my voice flat, "once you've decided, don't regret it."

The next day, I met my best friend Mia for afternoon tea.

At the outdoor café, Mia sighed heavily.

She complained about the hardship of raising two kids and her husband's complete indifference to family matters.

"Elara, you have it easy. Kael gives you all the money, no strings attached, no family pressures weighing you down."

She patted my hand. "Not like us, waking up to a mountain of problems every day."

I smiled but said nothing.

In werewolf circles, everyone thought I was mild-tempered and unambitious.

As the only daughter of WhiteRock Pack's Alpha, they also thought I was utterly incompetent.

Completely lacking the ability to be an heir.

Last year when BlackPine Pack neared bankruptcy, everyone said I was jumping into a fire pit.

Now that the Pack had made a comeback, everyone assumed I was just a woman living off Kael.

My phone buzzed. A message from Kael came through.

"Saturday night, my father's birthday. You're coming with me to the estate for dinner."

Still that commanding tone, cold text without a trace of warmth.

I sent him back a "Fine."

But I knew in my heart that this family dinner was a humiliation trap prepared specifically for me.

What was coming would come eventually.