Chapter 1 He Arrived

• Silvana Lorimer's POV:
• Breaking news! The Alpha of the Stormclaw Pack is in critical condition, and the future Alpha, Horatio Battleford, returned to the pack today.
• I switched on my computer and checked the latest update sent by my subordinate.
• Attached to the message was a secretly taken photo of Horatio.
• His features were chiseled. Despite the blurry image, his deep eyes radiated coldness and ruthless determination.
• I quietly took a sharp breath.
• Could this strong and handsome Alpha be the same werewolf with whom I shared a night of passion five years ago?
• Based on the clues I had gathered so far, he was the most likely candidate to be my sons' biological father. My youngest son, Starson, had been diagnosed with a rare hematologic disease, and since I was not a compatible match for him, finding his biological father was the only way to save his life.
• I quickly untied my apron and tossed it onto the coffee counter, then scooped up Starson, who was just four years old.
• “If you're not going to kindergarten, then you're coming out with me.”
• “Where are we going, Mommy?” Starson Lorimer asked, his obsidian-like eyes sparkling as he put down the Rubik's cube in his hands.
• “To meet your father!”
• Four years ago, the Wildfang Pack, where I belonged, was attacked by Rogues. Our Alpha, who was also my father, Percival Lorimer, led our pack into exile. We were temporarily taken in by the Stormclaw Pack—one of the oldest and currently the largest packs on the werewolf continent.
• That night, after the Stormclaw Pack's banquet, I drunkenly stumbled into a lounge.
• Clutching my throbbing forehead, I stumbled and collapsed onto the couch.
• Suddenly, a large hand reached out from behind, and the overwhelming scent of masculine pheromones filled the air.
• My mouth was covered, and I was pinned down.
• What followed was a forceful invasion.
• “Ah!”
• I tried to scream, but all that came out were moans.
• The male werewolf behind me was too domineering and fierce, leaving me no chance to catch my breath.
• Within moments, my legs went weak, and my mind started to spin under his relentless assault.
• “How dare you scheme against me? You're really asking for trouble! Why resist? Isn't this exactly what you wanted? I'll grant you your wish!”
• His violent thrusts were accompanied by venomous curses. He showed no sign of stopping.
• I lay on the couch, nearly suffocating, letting him have his way with me, but I never saw his face.
• Finally, he finished and threw a bank card on the ground with a sharp smack.
• “Even though you were the one who drugged me, I won't take advantage of you. Here's ten million for your virginity!”
• Bang! The door slammed shut as the male werewolf stormed out.
• D*mn it, who was that?
• I weakly picked up the card he had left behind. In the lower right corner of the card was the name—Horatio Battleford.
• Horatio was the most outstanding descendant of the Stormclaw Pack's Alpha.
• All the werewolves here said he was on the brink of surpassing his father to become the next Alpha of the Stormclaw Pack.
• So, the werewolf from earlier was Horatio!
• My eyes burned with fury. Did being an exiled werewolf mean I had to endure such humiliation?
• The Stormclaw Pack's Alpha had just graciously hosted us, yet his kin turned around and humiliated me!
• I wanted to tell my Alpha father!
• Just as I was about to stand up and look for him, my stepmother barged into the lounge with my father.
• I cried out in surprise, “Alpha!”
• Slap! Percival raised his hand and slapped me.
• I looked at him in disbelief.
• “Silvana! Even if our Wildfang Pack is down on its luck, we would never sell our daughter to gain the Stormclaw Pack's support! What you did trample on the dignity of the Wildfang Pack!” Percival glared at me with disgust as if he were looking at a vile hyena.
• “No, that's not it!” Father has misunderstood me!
• “How could it not be? Isn't this glaring evidence?” My stepmother, Lily Yates, snatched the bank card from me, her face full of undisguised mockery. “As expected from a lowly half-blood! I've long suggested to your father that you be expelled from the pack!”
• The word “half-blood” stabbed into my heart like a steel blade.
• Percival was the Alpha of the Wildfang Pack, and his mate was a mysterious race that had fled to our pack. Following the will of the Moon Goddess, my father married my mother, but she disappeared shortly after giving birth to me.
• Enraged by his mate's abandonment, Percival quickly married Lily, the daughter of the Alpha of the Stone Mountain Pack, making her his new Luna. Unfortunately, since Lily was not his destined mate from the Moon Goddess, she had been unable to bear any pups for my father all these years.
• As a half-blood, I became the lowest-ranking werewolf in the pack, constantly bullied for fun by others. Yet, I always challenged the rules. When someone bullied me, I fought back. Gradually, even Percival noticed my warrior ability and was willing to train me.
• However, he often sighed, “It's a pity you're a half-blood.”
• Lily frequently urged Percival to abandon me. This tension persisted until our pack was attacked by Rogues on the day of my eighteenth birthday. My failure to awaken my abilities cost Percival the chance to drive them away, turning his hope into utter disappointment.
• Clatter! Percival threw the bank card at me.
• “Horatio wasn't even in the Stormclaw Pack tonight. Everyone here knows he's been away for over a year!” Percival at me with disappointment. “Lies, cowardice, treachery, selling your dignity! You don't deserve to stay in my pack! Silvana, from today on, I officially expel you from the Wildfang Pack. Take the money you earned with your body and scram!”
• Lily grinned triumphantly. She had finally driven me out of the pack.
• I didn't even remember how I walked out of that banquet.
• The worst part was that a few months after my exile, I discovered I was pregnant!
• Time flew past, and five years had passed.
• I awakened the bloodline powers from my mother's side and made a comeback using my abilities. I had been able to give my triplet pups a happy life since their birth.
• Alas, life was as unpredictable as the weather.
• One day, my youngest son, Starson, suddenly broke out in a rash that covered his entire body. He was crying incessantly and within minutes, he was having difficulty breathing. I quickly administered a secret emergency remedy that had been passed down in my maternal family lineage, and it was only then that I was able to save him from the brink of death.
• Later, modern medical tests revealed that Starson had a rare hematologic disease. This disease was a congenital genetic defect, likely due to my being a half-blood and the complications of combining my genes with a powerful werewolf bloodline.
• The only way to cure him was to use a secret technique to strengthen the werewolf bloodline within Starson, making it more stable.
• Driven by guilt and a desperate need to save my child, I knew I had to find his biological father quickly.
• Half an hour later, I arrived at Stormclaw Hospital with my son and a basket of fruit.
• The nurse said the entire floor was reserved for the Alpha, who was in the innermost VIP ward.
• However, several black-clad warriors blocked our way.
• “Isn't this that little harlot from years ago?” Two noblewomen walked out of the ward and spotted me at once. “Does she think she has the right to visit the Alpha?”
• “She must be lost. What right does she have to see the Alpha?”
• “What was her name again? Oh right, Silvana Lorimer!”
• “Silvana?” Quinley came out of the ward and spotted me immediately. “What are you doing here? This isn't a place for a lowly half-blood like you!”
• Quinley strode over to me, her presence intimidating as she glared down at me.
• This woman, Quinley Yates, was Lily's niece.
• My stepmother, barren herself, treated Quinley like her own daughter, often bringing her to our pack when we were younger.
• Spoiled and entitled, Quinley had relished every opportunity to torment me.
• We were mortal enemies from the start.
• "And why shouldn't I be here?" I retorted, meeting her gaze with defiance. "This is none of your business, Quinley!"
• "Watch your words!" Quinley crossed her arms and sneered. "I'm Horatio's fiancée—the future Luna of the Stormclaw Pack."
• "Fiancée?" I frowned. How had Quinley become Horatio's fiancée?
• But I pushed the thought aside. Quinley's affairs were irrelevant. My only priority was finding Starson's father.
• "Tell Horatio to come out and see me!" I demanded, my voice sharp.
• "Who do you think you are? The Alpha's grandson isn't someone you can just summon!" Quinley laughed, her eyes raking over me with contempt. "Look at your work clothes—are you so destitute you can't even afford something decent?"
• She smirked, gesturing toward the fruit in my hand. "Do you really think you can meet high-ranking werewolves with a bag of rotten fruit? How utterly pathetic. What a filthy, lowly half-blood."
• Her smile disappeared, replaced by venom. "Get lost, or don't blame me for what happens next."
• "Tell me, what exactly are you going to do?" I wasn't the same scared girl who would hide and cry when bullied.
• I dropped the bag of fruit, flexed my fingers, and loosened my neck. I was ready to shut her up if she kept talking.
• Quinley's face paled, and she stepped back. "What ... What are you doing?"
• "Don't worry," I said coldly. "I'll settle our old scores later, but I have more important matters to deal with now."
• I scooped up Starson, whose small frame barely reached my knee, and lifted my chin defiantly. "Since you high-ranking werewolves don't like fruit, I'll offer the Alpha something better—a great-grandson. I'm sure he'll appreciate that."
• A great-grandchild?
• The atmosphere at the entrance to the ward suddenly grew tense, and the noblewomen who had been watching the scene shifted their gazes to Starson.
• “This little wolf pup is so cute, delicate, and charming. Is he...”
• “Wow! Look at his handsome brows. He really does resemble the Alpha.”
• “Could he... really be the Alpha's bloodline?”