Chapter 1

Ever since I heard that anonymous recording of his tender whispers to his first love, the wolf inside me finally went quiet.

Even when his discarded jacket reeked of another she-wolf's scent, I stopped questioning him.

He explained irritably that taking care of his first love was just his duty, and I only responded faintly: "I believe you."

On our fourth anniversary, one tearful call from his first love made him abandon me without hesitation.

When he used caring for his first love as an excuse once again, I had already accepted the offer to become Chief She-Wolf Trainer and completely disappeared from his territory.

Months later, he barged into my training camp out of control, eyes red as he begged: "Alison, come home with me. It's you I truly love."

I looked at him and smiled calmly. "Ethan, this time, I don't love you anymore."

Alison POV

Ever since I received that mysterious anonymous recording that night, the wolf inside me finally went quiet.

For the past four years, as Luna of the Blood Moon Pack, I had devoted myself wholeheartedly to supporting Alpha Ethan.

When he led the pack on territory patrols until dawn, there was always a light I left on for him at the Packhouse.

When he fought rogues at the border for days and nights, I no longer mind-linked him to ask if he was tired.

Even when his discarded jacket occasionally carried the sickeningly sweet scent of another she-wolf, I stopped questioning it.

Today, having just finished high-intensity she-wolf tactical training, I struggled alone to the pack hospital due to a severe shoulder tear. The doctor asked me softly: "Luna, should I notify Alpha Ethan?"

I forced myself to stay alert and said calmly, "No need."

The doctor looked down to fill out the form, then suddenly glanced at me again with hesitation in his eyes: "But... Alpha happens to be at the hospital tonight. He's upstairs."

Hearing that Ethan was at the hospital, the wolf inside me instinctively flinched, worrying whether he was injured.

But the nurse's next words dismissed that thought. "Miss Olivia isn't feeling well today, so Alpha Ethan has been upstairs with her the whole time..."

I understood.

"It's fine, I can manage alone." I closed my eyes, forcefully suppressing the restlessness of the mate bond inside me. "No need to disturb him."

Half an hour later, the hospital room door was pushed open abruptly.

Ethan walked quickly to my bedside, his brows furrowed, and habitually pressed the back of his hand against my forehead.

"Why didn't you tell me you were injured during training?"

His palm was warm, and he still carried that familiar scent. In the past, even with just minor scratches, this scent alone was enough to soothe my restless wolf.

But I turned my head away, avoiding his touch. "Just a tear, nothing serious. Just needs bandaging."

Ethan's hand froze in mid-air.

He seemed to sense something and was about to speak when whispered conversations from the hallway interrupted him. The gossip from outside carried clearly into the room.

"The Alpha is so attentive to that Miss Olivia in the VIP room... It's just ordinary nervous exhaustion, yet he comes every day and stays half the night. He even postponed the pack's regular meetings."

"What do you know? Olivia is the former Beta's daughter, noble bloodline. I heard if the old Alpha hadn't forcibly separated them back then and made Alpha marry the current Luna instead, Olivia would already be our Luna."

"No wonder Alpha treats her so specially. Alpha just went up to see her again, right?"

The voices faded with the footsteps, leaving an awkward silence.

Ethan's expression changed. He instinctively looked at me, panic flashing in his eyes.

"Alison, don't pay attention to that idle gossip." He rushed to explain. "Olivia's father sacrificed himself to protect the pack, and she and I already severed our mate bond long ago. She's all alone now. As the pack's Alpha, I'm just looking after her a bit more."

"Mm." I acknowledged without saying more.

This reaction made Ethan inexplicably irritated, and his Alpha aura began to leak out uncontrollably.

"You don't believe me?"

"I believe you."

I turned to look at him, my eyes completely calm. "You've always been a responsible Alpha. Caring for the former Beta's orphaned daughter is your duty."

Ethan froze, suddenly unable to speak.

In the past, every time he made excuses to accompany Olivia, the wolf inside me would become restless.

He always grew tired of my insecurity and would say impatiently: "Olivia and I are ancient history. I'm only caring for her out of duty now. Can you not be so sensitive?"

Now I finally gave him what he wanted—no more sensitivity, no more questions, even actively withdrawing my possessiveness.

His brows furrowed tighter. Just as he was about to speak, a soft thud came from outside the door.

Olivia stood there gripping the doorframe, her face deathly pale. "Ethan..." She bit her lip, her voice weak, tears pooling in her eyes. "I heard that Alison was hospitalized too..."

"Why did you get out of bed?" Almost instinctively, Ethan rushed over to support her, his tone mixing reproach with concern. "Didn't the doctor tell you that your body is too weak and you must rest in bed?"

Olivia leaned weakly against him, her gaze moving past his shoulder to look at me timidly.

"I was worried about Alison... so I wanted to come see her. After all, if you hadn't been helping me handle my father's funeral arrangements, you wouldn't have neglected Luna..."

Ethan sighed helplessly and scooped Olivia up without hesitation.

He turned back to look at me, saying hurriedly: "Alison, I'll take her back to her room first and come right back to stay with you. We'll go home together in a bit."

His figure carrying Olivia quickly disappeared.

I looked down at my half-bandaged arm, and that recording played again in my mind.

It was Ethan's voice, deep and tender.

He said: "Staying by your side feels like going back to the past."

In that moment, I finally woke from my dream. He had never truly let go of his first love.

These four years had been nothing but my one-sided devotion.

I endured the sharp pain from the mate bond tugging at my heart, took a deep breath, picked up my phone, and opened that unread email.

I typed my reply: [I accept the invitation to officially become the Chief She-Wolf Trainer of Zephyr Moon Pack.]

Click. Send.