As soon as the call ended, any mention of the wedding had completely slipped from his mind. Once again, he left me without hesitation and rushed into the night to rescue his secretary.
What he failed to consider, however, was that in this pack where wealth determined everything, my parents’ considerable fortune was the only reason he’d been able to claim the title of alpha.
After Carl left, I called Aunt Selma to tell her goodbye.
When my parents left the Moonstone Pack over a decade ago to pursue business opportunities elsewhere, they had entrusted me to Aunt Selma, who cared for me throughout my years in the pack.
Carl had lived next door, and that was how we’d met.
Years later, Aunt Selma had found her mate, got married, and sold her house to move away.
Not wanting to disrupt her new life, I’d stayed behind and moved in with Carl temporarily. Somehow, that temporary arrangement stretched into ten years.
When Aunt Selma heard about the wedding, she was stunned. “You’re getting married? To Carl? Well, that’s good. It’s about time anyway. You’ve been together for ten years.”
I pursed my lips and corrected her. “No, it’s an arranged marriage. I don’t even know who I’m marrying.”
Aunt Selma fell silent momentarily before asking, “Are you sure about this? Carl is your mate, after all. And from what I’ve seen, he seems to care for you genuinely. I’m not sure why he hasn’t proposed to you yet, but I can talk to him if you want.”
I chuckled softly and said, “There’s no need, Aunt Selma. Carl has never marked me. I’ve asked him to multiple times, but he’s always refused. I used to hope he’d change his mind, but now I understand.
“His refusal to mark me or marry me means he’s never actually seen me as his mate. I’m already 24. If I don’t end this now, I’ll waste the rest of my youth waiting for something that will never happen.”
Aunt Selma sighed after a brief pause. “Alright then. Whatever you decide, I’ll always be here for you.”
After hanging up, I started counting down the three days until my new life would begin.
The next day, I asked Mom to send over some limited-edition, high-end designer handbags. I wanted to thank Aunt Selma for her years of care, and it was also my way of saying goodbye.
As night fell, the packages finally arrived, and I was ready to leave the Moonstone Pack.
I directed the driver to deliver the things to Aunt Selma’s house.
But to my surprise, when I got downstairs, I ran into Carl.
