Alice POV

My brows were furrowed until I walked home.

In the kitchen, I started preparing dinner for Leander and me.

If I had the opportunity to serve as a warrior, I would help those who had been harmed by wandering werewolves.

That was also a dream I had when I was hurt in the same way.

But if Leander loved me, I would stay, right?

My heart ached when I thought of Leander’s indifference towards me.

In a trance, my hand was accidentally cut by the knife and bright red blood gushed out instantly.

"Hiss.” I took a breath.

At that moment, a pair of strong arms hugged me from behind and the familiar scent of pine wood instantly surrounded me.

It was Leander.

Three years later, his hug still made my heart beat faster.

I tried to pull out of his arms, but he held me tighter.

“Why are you so careless?” His voice was reproachful yet extremely gentle.

The burning body temperature was transmitted to me through the thin skirt and my body stiffened for a moment.

He turned my body around and picked me up.

Subconsciously, I put my arms around his neck.

Leander laid me gently on the sofa.

Watching him pick up my hand and carefully examine the wound with such a serious look, I was in a trance and realized how gentle he had always been.

The warm fingers touched my skin and made me shiver. It was the taste and irrepressible emotion between partners.

He took out the medicine box and treated my wound with skillful movements.

The disinfectant stung my wound and I felt a little guilty. I was just thinking about how to get Leander to agree to let me join the border warrior recruitment.

I did not expect that he was taking such careful care of me at that moment.

While applying the medicine, he scolded, “How many times have I told you to be careful with sharp knives?”

I looked at his serious expression and a warm feeling welled up in my heart.

“Okay, the servants are on leave today, so don't cook. Let's go out to eat.” He packed up the medicine box, his tone full of unquestionable dominance.

I protested, “But I….”

The ingredients were all ready and I did not want to waste them.

“Listen to me,” he interrupted me.

I opened my mouth, but eventually swallowed the rest of the words.

But there was a sweetness in my heart.

Leander wanted to take me out to dinner, which was a rare occasion.

Just as I was immersed in this brief happiness, Leander’s mobile phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and his eyes instantly became gentle.

“Hello, Rosalyn.”

“Leander, I'm feeling a little sick, can you come pick me up?"

“Okay, I'll be there right away.” There was a hint of urgency in his tone.

After hanging up the phone, his expression became cold.

I began to think silently in my heart that he would definitely not accompany me tonight.

But I did not expect it to really happen.

“I need to take care of some things. You can have dinner by yourself tonight.”

His expression was cold and there was no apology in his tone, as if the person who just said he wanted to take me out for dinner was not the same Leander.

He stood up and prepared to leave.

“Leander.”

He stopped and looked back at me; his face full of impatience.

“What's her business this time?”

I tried to keep my expression calm, but anger was boiling inside me and my wolf began to scratch.

"Rosalyn is not feeling well and needs my care.” His tone was so calm, as if all this was as it should be.

Rosalyn again and again. She would always be his top priority.

However, I did not want to argue about either of them anymore.

"Go ahead."

The little care and tenderness Leander showed me completely disappeared in that sentence.

It seemed that he was finally relieved. “I will take you to eat your favorite sushi and desserts next time.”

Leander kissed me on the lips and turned away.

Looking at his hurried back, my eyes gradually became moist.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and counted the number of times Leander had left me because of Rosalyn.

Every time, I watched him leave like that.

Two days ago, I replaced Beta Owen in training in the remote base.

After the training, I stayed until the end because I had to collect data.

The person in charge of the pick-up left me behind and I could not get a taxi.

In the end, I had no choice but to call Leander.

“Leander, I've been left at the field training base. Can you come pick me up?"

At that time, he was drinking in the bar with Rosalyn.

“Rosalyn is drunk. It's not safe for her to go home alone. Wait for me for a while, or take a taxi back."

He really did not care about me enough, even though he knew that no cars passed by the remote wilderness base.

Leander was concerned about Rosalyn’s safety, but he did not consider that I was also a woman who needed protection.

I waited for a long time, but he did not come to pick me up.

It was not until I had been running for more than two hours that Leander showed up in the car.

“Alice, are you kidding me? I drove around the campground looking for you for a long time. Get in the car!” Leander yelled and without waiting for me to explain, he roughly pulled me into the car.

One of the earphones he gave me was damaged because he forced the car door shut, but I did not dare tell him because he was furious.

If only he could treat me the same way he treated Rosalyn.

Leander’s preference for Rosalyn was like a poison that always made him obsessed.

It was obvious that I was his destined partner, but he abandoned me time and time again.

What kind of expression would he have after I left?

Maybe he would not care.

Thinking of that, my heart was once again filled with endless sadness.

Just then, my mobile phone rang.

I picked up the phone and it was Owen.

"Alice, thank you so much for helping me educate those kids at the training camp last time.” 

Owen's voice came from the other end of the phone, with a hint of gratitude.

“Are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to a meal to express my gratitude.”

I hesitated.

However, when I saw the empty house and Leander not being here, I did not feel like cooking for myself.

As a result, I accepted Owen's invitation. “Okay, then send me the address.”

After changing my clothes, I walked to the mirror.

The woman in the mirror has red hair and blue crystal eyes. Thick lips, soft contours and elegant facial lines.

Compared to sick Rosalyn, I was much healthier.

At that time, the timidity I felt when I first met Leander had also faded away.

But it was not the look Leander liked best.

I sighed, picked up my bag and walked out of the house.

Moonlight Restaurant was one of the most popular restaurants in Green Track Falls.

Before I opened the door, I saw Leander.

He sat by the window and Rosalyn snuggled up to him.

The two of them were talking and laughing, behaving intimately, like a loving couple.

Soon, a sour taste spread from my throat.

I pulled out my mobile phone and called Leander.

“Where are you?” I tried to sound calm.

“I'm processing some documents in the office.” His voice sounded relaxed and happy.

Office? The corners of my mouth curled up and I sneered unconsciously.

“Alice, he is deceiving us, we should expose them!" My wolf howled in my head, wanting to tear Rosalyn apart.

Alice POV

While Leander, not far away, was gently wiping the corners of Rosalyn's mouth.

My heart hurt as if it was being pricked by needles.

“Oh, I see. Sorry to disturb you.”

I hung up the phone and could not hold back my tears anymore.

I staggered out of the restaurant and walked around the corner. I quickly typed a text message to Owen, [Sorry, I have something urgent to do and can't make it tonight.]

I did not want anyone I knew to see my embarrassment at that moment, I just wanted to be alone.

Walking aimlessly on the street, the cold night wind blew on my face, cutting my skin like a knife.

The scene at the wedding kept appearing in my mind.

All the members of the wolf pack were present, except Leander.

I thought he would give me a surprise when he showed up, as usual.

Finally, Leander arrived late, looking flustered.

He said Rosalyn had a heart attack and he had to be with her, so he had to take care of her at that time.

Then, he left me and carried Rosalyn away from the wedding.

I stood there alone like an abandoned doll.

All the blessings turned into endless irony.

That day, I became the laughing stock of the entire Green Track Falls wolf pack.

Eventually, I walked to a bar alone and ordered the strongest whiskey I could find.

Drink after drink, I tried to numb myself with alcohol. 

However, alcohol did not make me feel better. Instead, it made my thoughts even more confused.

I wanted to forget Leander, forget the bond of companionship, forget Rosalyn and everything.

My body was getting hotter and hotter and my head was getting more and more dizzy.

I took out my cell phone, stared blankly at the address book and finally dialed Leander’s number.

I wanted him to pick me up.

I wanted him to know that I was sad.

After the phone rang a few times, it was finally answered.

“Hello?” It was Rosalyn's sweet voice.

“Where's Leander?” I asked while suppressing my anger.

Rosalyn’s tone was calm and sweet as she answered, “He went to look at the documents.”

But then it changed into a cunning sly fox tone, "But Alice, it's so late, don't you have a man with you?”

She started to taunt me. “And you pretended to be drunk and called Leander to get his sympathy?”

My hands were clenched around the phone so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

I took a deep breath and hung up the phone.

I was stumbling on the way home. But the cold wind blowing on my face woke me up completely.

I looked at the night sky and began to think about the future.

‘Moon Goddess, how can I get Leander to agree to my application to join Werewolves Without Borders?’ I wondered in my heart.

My mind was in a mess and my body was starting to get tired.

Alice POV

I hailed an Uber, opened the back door and jumped in.

The driver was a middle-aged man. He saw my pale face in the rearview mirror and seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.

After the car started, he still spoke, “Luna, are you okay?”

“It's okay, I just drank too much.”

I shook my head feebly, my body leaning limply against the seat.

“Where's the Alpha? He shouldn't have let you go home alone in this condition.”

I forced a wry smile, my throat was tight and I could not speak.

He was probably at home with Rosalyn at that time, so he would never care about me.

I closed my sore eyes and Leander's cold face appeared in my mind.

Having been displaced since childhood, what I desire most in my heart was a warm home and a lovely baby.

He also told me that he wanted to have a child of our own.

However, ever since Rosalyn came back into his life, he stopped talking about the child and even began to avoid the subject with me.

I knew what he was thinking. He wanted a strong bloodline, an Alpha heir who could bring greater benefits to him and the wolf pack.

After returning to the wolf pack with Leander, he became my support and everything to me.

But what about that time?

My home, my support, had all become a bubble.

The car stopped in front of the mansion. I paid the fare and staggered out.

I reached into my pocket and discovered my keys were missing.

In desperation, I could only ring the doorbell.

After a long while, the door was opened.

Leander stood at the door, looking impatient.

“What's wrong with you? You don't even have your keys with you?” He frowned, his tone filled with anger.

I looked at him and bile rose up in my throat, a bitter taste. 

“Isn't the key with Rosalyn? You gave it to her the last time she came.”

Alcohol makes me feel very aggrieved.

“Can't you make one yourself?”

Leander froze for a moment and although the anger had dissipated from his face, it still contained a hint of reproach.

I felt very wronged and tears were about to flow out the next moment, so I quickly raised my head.

Compared to Rosalyn, I was unimportant.

I smiled self-deprecatingly, said nothing more and walked around him into the yard.

When I walked into the room, I found Rosalyn sitting on the sofa with a glass of red wine in her hand.

When she saw me, she immediately stood up, walked up to me and said sweetly, “Why are you back so late? Leander must have been worried sick.”

Her tone was as hypocritical as ever.

"She obviously knew it, since we called two hours ago. Now she's acting it out for Leander,” my wolf roared.

“Come, have a drink with us.” Rosalyn took my hand and her expression seemed to show off something.

I gently broke free from her hand and said, “Don't act so hypocritical in front of me!”

I turned and headed for the stairs.

Halfway through the walk, I could not help but look back.

Leander was squatting in front of Rosalyn, rubbing her hair gently.

My heart felt like it was being gripped by an invisible hand and I could hardly breathe.

The injured hand began to feel uncomfortable, as if it was being bitten by ants.

When I was looking for the medicine box, I noticed that the second bedroom had been cleaned.

It looked like Rosalyn would be staying there tonight.

At that moment, I did not even know I should be sad or upset?

I went back to the room, took out disinfectant and prepared to treat the wound.

At that time, Leander pushed the door and walked in.

He saw the disinfectant in my hand and frowned, “It's expired. Use this.”

He handed me a new bottle of disinfectant, then squatted down, held my hand and prepared to help me treat the wound.

“Be careful next time. You can't use expired items.”

His tone was gentle, unlike Leander’s usual tone.

But I still subconsciously wanted to stop him, “No, I can do it myself.”

One of Leander’s hands froze in mid-air and his blue eyes gradually became darker as he looked at me.

"Leander, Rosalyn is waiting for you downstairs,” I said this expressionlessly, as if I was reminding him, or as if I was driving him away.