Aldric's eyes flickered at my question. "She ...."
Yet one of his packmates cut in before he could explain, chuckling. "No, no, she's my packmates? But hey, if she’s running with our pack tonight, we’re all packmates, right?”
“To be honest, I’m the one who brought her to Aldric after his helper resigned.” She added proudly. “She trained in administrative field, so it’s a good fit.”
“Exactly,” another packmates chimed in, elbowing Aldric casually. “Must be nice having a helper you’re already… familiar with, huh, Aldric?”
I caught the blush flicker across Aldric’s face, but kept my own expression composed.
“Oh, I see, so she’s a she-wolf you place your confidence in,” I replied with a mild smile.
The pack broke into howls of laughter, treating me like a clueless outsider.
Just then, the curtain dragged open and a voice rang out. "Here comes — our Mirael!"
Mirael swept in, her laughter echoing through the cavern as she greeted the pack.
She moved like the favored wolf of the night, basking in every admiring gaze.
As she mingled, she boasted loudly about her pregnancy tracing her stomach with exaggerated pride as the crowd showered her with praise.
I tilted closer to Aldric and murmured, “So… who’s her mate? Last I checked, your condition for hiring a helper beside you was staying unmated for five cycles. Mirael has only served you for a few lunar cycles.”
Aldric cleared his throat. "Well, I ... revised the condition. I didn’t want to lose another helper just because they wanted to get mating.”
“Oh, really? So she's already officially mated then?” I replied lightly, each word a quiet strike.
“She ….” Aldric stammered, eyes darting as he searched for an excuse.
Before he could gather whatever excuses he was scrambling for, Mirael approached, tail-high confidence radiating off her, her smile bright and entirely too pleased.
“Oh wow, you must be Luna Wolfsbane! I’ve been a huge admirer for ages.” She gushed brightly.
Not giving me a heartbeat to respond, Mirael slid into the seat next to me, her voice bubbling with forced enthusiasm.
“You know, everyone at the alliance keeps howling about how you and Alpha Aldric first crossed paths. Such a fated love story! Truly romantic.”
As Mirael edged closer, Aldric grew tense, pretending to mingle with the rest of the pack instead of facing me.
Once she realized Aldric’s attention had drifted away, her voice dropped into a hushed, conspiratorial murmur.
“You know, I used to get so envy of your love story. I mean, who wouldn’t want a mate like yours? But guess what—my dream finally came true!”
She giggled lightly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as if she thought the gesture made her irresistible.
“Oh? Is that so?” I replied coolly, barely restraining the growl beneath my words.
Mirael leaned in, speaking in a hushed tone like we were pack-sisters whispering forbidden secrets.
“Yeah … it’s hush-hush, but he’s just as handsome as your mate.”
Her boldness made my blood burn, but I didn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing it. I kept my expression perfectly calm and unreadable.
“Anyway.” She chimed in. “Can I follow your social-mirror? We should hang out sometime, maybe get some moon-spa treatments together!”
I passed her my username without fuss. “Sure,” I replied.
Once she added me, she hooked her arm around mine like we had grown up howling together, rambling about her mate who gave her a manor, a business and even an isle.
She had no idea that her loose tongue was giving me exactly the proof I needed to strengthen my unmating case.
At last, I seized a pause in her chatter and cut off with a courteous smile. “Pardon me, I need a moment to go to toilet-wood.”
Mirael’s eyes gleamed. “Oh, great! I need to go too—let’s go together.”
I let her follow, though unwillingly.
As we reached the toilet-wood entrance, Mirael dropped her knitted-pouch and her stuffs scattered on the ground.
Among the scattered stuffs lay an ultrasound scroll. She crouched to gather them and shot me a triumphant smile.
"Oops, you caught a peek my pup, right? Yes, I carry Aldric's pup."
I felt it in my bones—her smugness was meant to sting, to taunt me once more.
However, I refused to take the bait and simply stepped into the chamber.
When I stepped out, Mirael was already at the basin, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
“You are lucky to be mated to Aldric, the ever-romantic Alpha,” she purred, like two young she-wolves gossiping. “But alas, you cannot satisfy him. He told me that touching me is far more… satisfying than anything you could give him.”
“Oh, didn’t you see us in the runestone lift before? That’s our usual habit, so don’t be surprising if you see more about us.”
“And didn’t you in healer’s den too, before? Or did I get it wrong? We were there checking our pup, a moon along already.”
She leaned in, her voice dropping to a mockery. “One thing’s certain, I will be his Luna soon. So, shall I call you Seraphina, rather than Luna Wolfsbane?”
Her mockery sent a surge of fury through me, but I forced myself to stay calm, gripping my knitted-bag as I stayed in the chamber.
When I stepped out, she was already gone. I rushed to the basin, washing my hands in a fury.
If she appeared in front of me again, I swore I would rip her by the hair before she even blinked.
But when I stepped back into the gathering, my fur bristled.
I paused at the threshold, staring at the sight before me. It reeked of betrayal and shamelessness—truly sickening.
