Chapter 2 #2
They didn't ask again.
Then I went to see the commander. Man in his forties. Nervous as hell the second he saw me. I sat in his chair and asked coldly what he thought about the recent Butcher Squad cases.
He pulled out the files. At least they were organized clearly.
I flipped through page by page. The Butcher Squad had appeared a few years ago out of nowhere.
Their mission: kill all pure blood wolves.
I'd assumed they were a human organization, until they started torturing humans—even half-bloods.
That's when I realized they were just venting malice.
One of the consequences of the human-wolf class system.
The commander stuttered through what little intelligence they had. For instance, the Butcher Squad mainly targeted pure bloods—nobles, in other words. Not long ago, there was an incident at Maple Hotel. My brow furrowed. Maple—the same hotel where I'd been drugged.
"I understand the recent panic," the commander said, wringing his hands ingratiatingly. "I'll definitely maintain order."
Those noble wolves had been discussing the Butcher Squad nonstop lately. They were used to being arrogant. Never imagined humans would kill them. Torture them.
I told the commander to strengthen defenses and patrols.
Even the human district couldn't be overlooked.
Plenty of wolves lived there too. And I locked down Reserpine's border regions as much as possible to keep them from escaping.
If they caused panic in other kingdoms, Silver pine would be held accountable.
Other wolf packs might even use "eliminating the enemy" as an excuse to invade.
When I left the Guard Station, Marcus was waiting by the car. He glanced at the bundle in my arms. His gaze paused for a second. Then he asked nothing. Just opened the back door.
"Back to the manor?"
"Yeah."
As the car pulled away from the Guard Station, I looked back one more time. The gray-white building grew smaller and smaller, shrinking to a tiny dot in the rear window. I adjusted the bundle in my arms. The little thing squirmed against me and made a tiny sound, like a kitten mewing.
I looked down at him.
Your mother's gone. But I can find her. I will find her.
Suddenly, the little thing reached toward my finger.
Grasped it. Eyes still closed, like a small creature finally finding safe arms, breathing out in relief.
My throat tightened. I wanted to say something but didn't want to startle him.
After the little thing gripped my finger, like he'd confirmed the scent was safe, he relaxed and sank back into sleep.
I held him the whole ride. Didn't say a word. My heart softened bit by bit, almost painfully.
My mate—she couldn't bear to leave this child. But she still left, crying.
Humans can't sense the mate bond. A voice in my head questioned whether we'd ever see our mate again in this lifetime. But I wouldn't give up. My wolf wouldn't allow it. I wouldn't allow it.
Silver pine Kingdom's streets flowed past the car window. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the trees, landing on the tiny nose in the bundle like a grain of golden dust. I closed my eyes. I'd decided on a name.
"Your name is Liam," I said softly.
Liam. In the wolf language, it meant "come back."
Five Years Later.
The pressure in the Elder Council meeting hall was suffocating. Every elder seated around the table looked like they'd just been pulled from an icehouse.
"Your Majesty." The Grand Elder set his teacup on the table—not hard, but in the quiet room it rang out clearly.
"Five years. We didn't object to Liam's adoption at the time, but you keep dragging your feet on marriage.
The Luna position remains empty. The gossip has spread across the entire Moonfall Continent.
They're saying Liam is your illegitimate child. "
I twisted the ring on my finger. Five years. For protection, I'd never publicly revealed Liam's identity. Never even let him appear before these elders. So the Grand Elder didn't know—the rumor was true.
"We think you should dispose of the child—"
"I'm not disposing of the child." I snarled, letting out a low growl.
The Grand Elder frowned. "Why? He's just an adopted—"
BANG! My fist slammed the table. I stared at him, voice coming from the bottom of my throat. My wolf bared its teeth. The Grand Elder felt the Alpha's pressure and shut his mouth.
The atmosphere in the meeting room went rigid.
"If you won't dispose of him, fine. The Hale family can afford to raise one child.
" Another elder spoke, breaking the standoff.
"But the Luna position can't be delayed any longer.
The second daughter of the Gray family—good background, clean record.
Marry her as Luna. It'll silence the outside rumors and give Liam a mother.
More importantly, the Gray family has been in business for generations.
They'd be an asset to Hale. What more could you want? "
My fingers rested on the armrest. I didn't move.
"What about Lina?" Elder Ria, who'd been silent in the corner, suddenly spoke up. She stood, somewhat agitated. "She's cared for Liam for five years. More devoted than his own mother would be. Is she just supposed to be cast aside without explanation?"
I looked up at her. She stared back fearlessly. Of all the elders, she was the most fond of Lina. I looked away and let out a heavy sigh inside.
Lina.
Her gentle smile floated before my eyes.
My wolf let out a low growl. It didn't reject Lina. But it rejected me marrying her.
"Enough." I cut off Ria, not wanting to dwell on this any longer. "The Gray family's daughter. Her then. Have someone negotiate. Tell me when the wedding's scheduled."
The Grand Elder's expression finally loosened. The others exchanged glances—satisfied. Only Elder Ria kept staring at me. Her lips moved, but she said nothing in the end. Just sighed.
I knew she was worried about Lina.
I stood. The chair legs scraped against the floor. I turned and walked out of the meeting hall. Wind rushed through the corridor, carrying the scent of soil and grass from the garden outside.
The Gray family. Ruthless when it came to profit. What kind of daughter could come from them? I sneered inwardly. Marry her as a decorative piece. That's all.
I quickened my pace. By the time I returned to the manor, dusk had fallen. The living room lights were on. Lina sat on the sofa with Liam, helping him build with blocks. Hearing footsteps, Liam looked up first. His eyes lit up. He scrambled off the floor and ran over, hugging my leg.
"Daddy! Look at the castle I built!"
I looked down at him and ruffled his hair. Lina stood too, smiling. But when her gaze landed on me, the smile froze slightly—she always knew. We'd known each other too long. She understood every subtle shift in my expressions.
"Meeting over?" she asked, voice gentle.
"Yeah."
"Did you... settle anything?"
Liam still clung to my leg, looking up at me. I looked down at those deep gray eyes, reflecting the chandelier light, bright and sparkling.
"Arranged a marriage," I said. "The Gray family's daughter. Wedding next month."
The living room went silent for two seconds. Liam didn't understand. He tilted his head. "What's a wedding?"
Lina said nothing. She stood there, hands at her sides.
The smile slowly faded from her face, then slowly returned—so fast you could barely tell.
Then she bent down and picked up Liam, voice still soft and gentle.
"A wedding means your daddy's bringing home a new mommy. Liam's going to have a mother."
"But I have Lina." Liam wrapped his arms around her neck. "Lina is my mommy." Then he kissed her cheek.
Lina froze. Then smiled and buried her face in his shoulder.
Liam twisted around and looked at me. "Daddy, you can't marry that new mommy.
You should marry Lina instead!" Hearing this, Lina looked up at me.
I stood several steps away, meeting her eyes.
Light spilled from overhead. Something lodged in my throat.
I knew what I was about to ask would hurt her. "Lina. I need to talk to you."
Lina smiled, but sadly. She'd already heard that I wouldn't marry her. She touched Liam's head. "Liam, time for bed."