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.

Alice POV

Leander seemed to be hurt by those words and frowned slightly, but he did not get angry. He just looked at me deeply.

Then he stood up, turned and left the room without saying a word.

I looked at his back as he left and my fingers began to throb in pain.

I picked up the new disinfectant and applied it to the wound.

I thought he would at least give me an explanation, even if it was just a perfunctory one, which would make me feel better, but he did not.

He did not even ask me why I was drunk or why I came home so late, he just left.

“Alice, he doesn't care about us at all," my wolf whimpered in pain.

“Yeah, he cares about other people."

There were footsteps.

Leander opened the door and came in with a Band-Aid in his hand.

His brows were still frowned and he pulled my hand roughly.

There was a sharp pain and I could not help but frown and make a sound.

“Sorry.” His voice was low, with an imperceptible tenderness.

My expression suddenly froze.

He stopped what he was doing, looked up at me and an apology flashed in his deep blue eyes.

That was the first time he said "sorry” to me.

In the past, as an Alpha, he was strong and domineering and never thought he was wrong.

The last time I was injured during training, he was on his way to the hospital, but after receiving a call from Rosalyn, he dropped me off on the way and asked me to take a taxi to the hospital by myself.

In the past, he never said “I'm sorry.”

But that moment, he apologized to me for hurting me.

A complex emotion suddenly surged in my heart, confusion, puzzlement and a hint of indescribable bitterness.

His sudden tenderness made me feel a little at a loss.

I could not help but want to test him, “What happened to you today?”

He leaned over, his warm breath spraying on my neck, with a faint smell of pine.

I could feel his eyelashes brushing against my skin, like feathers, itchy.

His lips were only a few centimeters away from my cheek.

I could even see the tiny lines on his lips.

I subconsciously held my breath and my heart beat so fast that it seemed like it was going to jump out of my chest.

Leander smelled the scent of my neck and frowned.

Just as I was daydreaming, Leander spoke, but in a reproachful tone. “Drink less alcohol. Rosalyn's house is being renovated recently, so let her stay for a few days.”

‘I see,’ I muttered in my heart.

He was worried that I would not agree, so he suddenly behaved so abnormally

As if it was premeditated, he gave the key to Rosalyn, cleaned the second bedroom and did not let her go home until late at night.

A wave of pain surged in my heart, drowning me like a tide.

“It's up to you.”

I suppressed the pain in my heart but put on a calm face.

Leander looked straight at me, his blue eyes becoming deeper and deeper, as if he had seen through my heart.

“Are you...jealous?” Leander suddenly asked, with a playful look on his face.

I laughed, but it was a forced laugh.

“She is your guest, why should I be jealous?” I asked him back. Actually, I wanted him to affirm my position in the family, but I did not get his answer.

Leander was silent and my agreement seemed to make him swallow back his series of excuses.

“Remember, you are Luna of Green Track Falls, don't be rude to Rosalyn.”

The tone was cold, with warnings and commands.

He was actually worried that I would hurt Rosalyn out of jealousy.

In his eyes, was I such a narrow-minded woman?

"Rosalyn is downstairs alone now. I have to go and keep her company. You should go to bed first tonight.”

Leander left with those words before he left, completely shattering the last bit of fantasy in my heart.

I was the only one left in the room.

I curled up in bed, hugged my knees, tears streaming down my face.

Over the past three years, I have been carefully trying to please him.

I thought I had entered his heart, but then it seemed that it was all my wishful thinking.

His heart had always been with his childhood sweetheart, Rosalyn and had never been with me.

I loved him like a fool, fantasizing that one day he would fall in love with me.

But then, the dream was over.