My heart clenched, not with jealousy but with disgust. I knew the scene all too well—it was a pivotal moment in the story.
That was the moment where Branden’s betrayal became undeniable, the moment that set Eleonor on the tragic path to her own death.
But there I was, witnessing it firsthand. And seeing it with my own eyes was far more infuriating than reading it in the novel.
What made it worse was the conversation that unfolded between their stolen kisses.
“You really want to marry me, right?” Quincy asked, her tone saccharine and spoiled, dripping with false innocence.
“Of course,” Branden replied without hesitation, his voice laced with a sickening sincerity. “There’s no one I love except you, Quincy. You know I’ve loved you since you came here.”
Then, their tongue linked again exchanging saliva.
My stomach churned as I saw that. But then I realized if that conversation was not in the novel.
It seemed the book had not told the whole story.
Apparently, Quincy and Branden had only known each other as a friend all the time. But in the book, they were in affair about two to three years ago.
However, if Branden said it was since Quincy came to the Pack, it meant he had set eyes on her since she was five.
Eleonor was also five that time when her father brought another woman with a daughter to our house.
Her mother cried and they argued for an hour, which only ended by rejection and divorced between them.
That was the one of the scene that I did not like, but well, sometimes it needed to be heated.
However, as if to twist the knife deeper, I overheard Quincy laugh mockingly and call me, or rather Eleonor, “a placeholder Luna,” at that moment.
“Sstt, don’t say it too loud,” Branden also chuckled after hearing that.
As a result, rage bubbled up inside me. I could not help but reflect on Eleonor’s sacrifices.
From the time she was a child, Eleonor had dreamed of becoming an independent warrior, a proud protector of her pack.
But when the mate bond formed between her and Branden at sixteen, her aspirations were pushed aside. She devoted herself entirely to supporting his leadership, learning diplomacy, and strategy to stand by his side as Luna.
Meanwhile, Quincy, who had always dreamed of mating with an Alpha, had never given up her pursuit of Branden.
She bragged constantly, flaunting every new gift Branden gave her during their so-called friendship.
But the Moon Goddess had another plan, instead of mating with Quincy, Branden was mating with Eleonor. His attention that was originally for Quincy changed to her.
At first Eleonor did not have the heart to hurt Quincy, but she could not reject Branden's affection and attention, so as time went by, she believed that everything was arranged by the Moon Goddess herself.
While I was still recalling the scene from the novel, Selena’s voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Eleonor, our bond with Branden is weakening,” she said, her tone tinged with worry. “He’s emotionally tied to another wolf. That connection is breaking what we share.”
I froze. There was one again that was not in the story.
“Why didn’t you say this in the novel?” I scolded her, frustration creeping into my voice.
Selena sounded confused. “What are you talking about, Eleonor? What novel?”
Ah, of course, she would not know. She was part of this world, oblivious to the fact that her reality had once been a work of fiction.
Maybe that was happening because I had already begun changing the storyline.
In the book, Eleonor never found out about Branden and Quincy’s affair—at least, not until it was too late. This must have been what allowed Selena to sense the weakening of their mate bond.
“Forget it,” I muttered, shaking off the thought. “I should give that cursed lovebird a lesson.”
Anger surged within me, and my fists clenched involuntarily. The urge to barge into the office and confront them was nearly overwhelming.
But no. That would only derail my plan.
I needed to stay calm, keep my head down, and play my part until I was free of the Nightwalker Pack and its deceitful Alpha.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped back and stationed myself in the hallway, pretending to shuffle through the files in my hands. My heart pounded as I waited for them to finish their little rendezvous.
When the door finally opened, Quincy emerged, her face glowing with smug satisfaction.
“Oh, Eleonor,” she said sweetly, her saccharine tone making my skin crawl. “What brought you here?”
I forced my expression to remain neutral, holding up the stack of papers. “Just some academy documents that need the Alpha’s approval.”
“Of course,” she replied, her eyes gleaming with triumph. “Branden’s inside. Go ahead.”
As she walked past me, her aura of satisfaction felt almost tangible, like a sickeningly sweet perfume that lingered in the air.
I squared my shoulders, straightened my back, and stepped into the office, meeting Branden’s gaze head-on.
For a split second, he looked startled. But then he quickly composed himself, masking his surprise with the authoritative demeanor of an Alpha.
“Eleonor, what do you need?” he asked, his tone cool and detached.
I held up the transfer letter, hidden among the academy documents, and kept my voice steady. “I need your stamp of approval for some files.”
His eyes scanned the papers, his expression unreadable. For a moment, my stomach twisted with worry. Would he notice the transfer request tucked into the stack?
But then, with a swift flick of his wrist, he stamped all the documents and handed them back to me.
“Anything else?” he asked indifferently, as though he hadn’t just been caught kissing my stepsister minutes ago.
“No, Alpha,” I replied curtly, turning to leave before my composure could crack.
But as I reached the door, his voice stopped me.
“Eleonor,” he said, almost casually, “I’ve told you before, I’m not officially Alpha yet. I’m just replacing my father for now. It’s still a week away. Call me by my name, okay?”
I nodded stiffly. “Right. Thank you for everything, Branden.”
I forced a polite smile and began gathering the files.
As I did, his hand brushed against my wrist.
“Wait,” he said sharply.
Panic flooded my chest. Did he notice the transfer letter?
