This was the place where Ethan and I had once promised each other forever.

He said I was his one and only fated mate.

I just couldn’t understand it.

Just the day before, he had held me in his arms and told me he loved me.

How could Victoria possibly be pregnant?

He had tossed all our vows aside.

Was it really just for an heir?

Suddenly, I heard a faint whimper.

Inside a nearby abandoned cave, there was a pup.

He was skin and bones, incredibly weak.

One of his legs was injured, and he could barely stand.

I asked where his family was, but he only whimpered in response.

I realized he was mute.

I gently picked him up and cleaned and dressed his wound.

The mountains were so remote; I couldn’t get him to a hospital right away.

“Do you have no family either?”

The little pup didn’t struggle. He just nuzzled against me.

I looked at him, thinking this might be a sign from the Moon Goddess to keep me from being so lonely.

The next morning, before the sun was up, I was woken by frantic knocking on my door.

It was Margaret, Ethan’s mother.

Victoria was trailing behind her.

Margaret had always thought I wasn’t good enough for Ethan—just a mere wolf behavior researcher with no status.

I opened the door, and she glared at me with disdain.

“Why are you still here? Don’t you know there are a million things to do back at the house?! You’re lazy and can’t even produce a pup! What on earth does Ethan see in you?!”

My face hardened. I was done with her abuse.

“I’ve moved out. Didn’t Ethan tell you? Besides, Victoria is the mother of his child. Put her to work!”

“Victoria is pregnant! How can she possibly work?!” Margaret rolled her eyes at me.

Just as she finished speaking, Victoria, pretending to admire my cabin, deliberately kicked the pup’s injured leg.

The pup screamed in pain and sank its teeth into her.

“Ah! Let go!” Victoria cried out, tears welling in her eyes.

Ethan walked in at that exact moment. Seeing the scene, he immediately roared at me:

“Gritte, whose pup is this, and why is it attacking Victoria?!”

“I didn’t do anything,” I said, looking straight into Ethan’s eyes.

The shove was pure instinct. Anger on his face quickly melted into guilt.

“Gritte, I—”

Before he could finish, Victoria clenched her fists and bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Ethan. It was my fault. I touched her pup without asking. That’s why he bit me…”

“Whose pup did you say this is?!” Ethan yelled, then shook his head.

He looked from Victoria’s bleeding hand to the pup in the corner.

The little guy was huddled there, trembling and whimpering at the sight of the strangers.

“Where did this thing come from?” Ethan frowned.

“That little mutt bit Victoria!” Margaret suddenly strode forward and kicked the pup.

With a painful yelp, he was sent flying into the wall.

“What are you doing?!” I shoved her away, shielding the pup with my body before she could hurt him again.

“You dare push me?!” Margaret seethed with rage.

As a descendant of an immigrant family, she had an almost fanatical obsession with pure-blood traditions.

She looked at Ethan and shrieked, “What if that mutt had bitten her stomach instead of her hand? What would happen to your heir with the special bloodline ability?!”

“He didn’t do it on purpose!” I looked at Ethan, too. “Victoria stepped on his wound, that’s why he lashed out!”

Victoria started crying, deliberately holding up her hand. Fresh blood oozed from the wound.

“He was so cute, so I wanted to pet him, but…”

Ethan flew into a rage. He pushed me aside and grabbed the trembling pup.

Just as he was about to throw him out, I blocked his path and snatched my pup back.

“Our family does not accept outsiders, especially not a stray of unknown origin,” Ethan said, narrowing his eyes at me.

His expression and his words were as cold as ice.

“He’s just an injured pup. He’s not a threat to us.”

“Not a threat?” Margaret shrieked. “It bit Victoria! What if it’s carrying some kind of virus?! What about my unborn grandson?!”

“Ethan, we’re talking about your child! Get that mutt out of here and punish Gritte! She’s clearly just jealous that Victoria is pregnant!”

Hearing these ridiculous accusations, my inner wolf was roaring.

“I am not!”

Ethan frowned. “That’s enough, Mom.”

The CEO who commanded boardrooms with an iron fist now seemed weak before the mother who’d belittled him his entire life for his ‘impure’ bloodline. He was powerless to defy her.

“Ethan, how can you still protect her when she’s been abusing Victoria like this?”

Margaret sneered. “A researcher? She has no power, no influence! Instead of being mated to a barren woman, you’d be better off taking care of your child and your mother.”

Ethan didn’t answer her. Instead, he turned to me.

“Gritte, you were in the wrong this time. Victoria is carrying our child.”

“You should be more tolerant, more understanding. Help me take care of her.”

I ignored the look of hatred and jealousy in Victoria’s eyes and sneered at Ethan.

“Let’s sever the mate bond.”