Chapter 3

Elara rarely left the center of the territory, spending most of her time in her art studio. But her insistence on going out in such heavy snow piqued Serafina's curiosity.

"Elara, you don't have a mate, so why run off to the human town in this weather?"

Elara didn't know how to explain, so she simply answered, "I have some personal matters to attend to."

Once the car arrived at the human administrative center, they would probably figure it out, or perhaps they wouldn't care at all.

Serafina didn't press further. She turned to Kieran, chatting excitedly about the arrangements for the evening's festival. The two chatted enthusiastically, seemingly forgetting Elara was even sitting in the back seat.

While waiting at a red light, Serafina took out a mirror and asked Kieran to check if her earrings were straight. He leaned over without hesitation, his movements gentle and focused.

As they drew close, Elara turned her head to watch the snowflakes dancing outside the window, trying to block out that blinding intimacy.

Just as they were nearing the destination, Serafina suddenly said she wanted to go back to her apartment in town to get a coat. Although it was less than a mile from the administrative center, Kieran immediately told Elara to get out and walk.

"It's not far from your destination. Sera is afraid of the cold; I have to drop her off first." His tone brokered no argument.

Elara gave a self-deprecating smile and got out of the car alone.

The black SUV sped away, kicking up a flurry of snow.

The streets were empty, without a soul or vehicle in sight. Elara trudged through the snow for nearly a mile before reaching the office and submitting all her immigration materials.

When she came out, she ran into the pack's old physician, Margaret Webb.

They exchanged pleasantries for a while. When Margaret learned that Elara was leaving the territory to settle in the human world, her face filled with surprise. "You're not coming back? Did Kieran agree?"

Elara didn't know why Margaret suddenly mentioned Kieran, so she told a small lie.

"He agreed. We aren't blood relatives, and I'm about to be an adult. I can't rely on him forever. Learning to be independent in the outside world will be good for me."

Margaret sighed and nodded, a complex look flashing across her face.

"Although you aren't related by blood, the Alpha really has given a lot for you. I still remember that time during the hunting competition when you were accused of cheating. Kieran had just finished dealing with a territorial dispute and was injured, yet he rushed to the Council of Elders to defend you."

"And the time you broke your leg during training—he dropped a multi-million dollar contract to carry you to the hospital himself. And don't forget the time rogue wolves harassed you; Kieran made sure they received the punishment they deserved."

Listening to Margaret recount these past events, Elara couldn't help but be pulled back into her memories.

It was late winter three years ago, on a heavy snow day just like this.

Searching for a blue ice plant for her painting, she had unknowingly crossed the safety line.

Three rogue wolves had cornered her by a frozen stream. Their fur was patchy, reeking of rotting meat and the stench of bodies unwashed for ages. Their greedy gazes stuck to her like slimy mucus.

The leading one-eyed wolf grinned, saliva dripping from his yellowed fangs. He stepped closer, his filthy claws almost touching Elara's boots.

Elara backed against a sharp rock, her fingers digging into the ice behind her, oblivious to her nails breaking. Fear was a cold hand gripping her heart, choking the cry for help in her throat.

Just as the one-eyed wolf lunged, the air solidified.

A terrifying pressure crashed down from the canopy above; even the flying snow seemed to pause for an instant.

A massive black blur fell like a meteorite, accompanied by the crisp sound of shattering bones, stomping the one-eyed wolf directly into the frozen earth.

It was Kieran.

He hadn't maintained his human form but had shifted into that giant black wolf that made everyone tremble in fear.

The remaining two rogue wolves didn't even have time to tuck their tails and run.

The black wolf wasted no time on roars; his movements were so fast they were a blur. He bit the neck of the grey wolf on the left and whipped his head violently.

The wolf was flung like a rag doll, crashing against the rocks. Its spine snapped, dead on impact.

The last wolf was so terrified it lost control of its bladder, collapsing on the ground and whimpering.

The black wolf turned his head. There was no warmth in his golden beast eyes, only pure tyranny and killing intent. He walked over step by step, his claws making a piercing sound on the ice, like a countdown from the god of death.

The battle ended too quickly; Elara had even forgotten to breathe. Not until that massive black body blocked all the wind and snow, slowly transforming into human form before her.

Kieran was bare-chested, his muscles taut as iron, his chest heaving violently, radiating scorching heat. A few drops of warm blood splattered on his collarbone, looking bewitchingly shocking.

He ignored the corpses and strode to Elara, kneeling on one knee.

Those golden eyes, filled with slaughter just moments ago, now held only anxiety.

"Elara!"

He reached out, wanting to touch her face, but stopped in mid-air. He looked at the blood on the back of his hand, brows locked tight, and quickly scrubbed it hard against the snow until his skin was red from the friction. Only then did he carefully cup her face.

"Look at me. Breathe."

His voice was hoarse, carrying a low growl of unsoothed bestiality.

Elara drew a trembling breath of cold air, and her tears instantly burst forth. "Uncle Kieran... I thought... I thought I'd never see you again..."

"Shh, it's okay now."

Kieran pulled her into his arms, holding her so tightly it felt as if he wanted to rub her into his very bones and blood. His burning palm covered the back of her head, shielding her from the bloody scene around them.

"Don't look at that filth."

He whispered in her ear, the vibration of his chest conducting through their touching skin, dispelling all her cold.

"Which hand touched you?"

He asked suddenly, his tone grim.

Elara shrank into his embrace, sobbing as she shook her head. "No... didn't touch."

Only then did the tense muscles of Kieran's back relax slightly. He took off the trench coat that had been discarded nearby at some point, wrapped her tightly in it, and swept her up into his arms.

"Let's go home."

At that moment, lying on his broad, warm shoulder, Elara had naively thought this favoritism would last forever.

"Elara? ... Elara!"

Margaret's voice pulled her back to reality.

Upon parting, Margaret held her hand tightly, earnestly urging her never to forget Kieran's kindness and to repay him well.

Elara nodded silently.

She had already made up her mind. Before leaving, she would repay Kieran for everything he had given her over the years. For him, the best repayment would likely be her complete disappearance.

That way, he wouldn't have to worry about her using past favors to shamelessly cling to him.

Back home, Elara changed out of her wet clothes, sat at her desk, and began to calculate her finances.

She had lived in the Blackwood home for so many years that she had a sense of her annual expenses. She quickly estimated a total.

There were also some invisible costs that couldn't be calculated precisely, so she decided to repay Kieran three times the estimated amount.

Early that morning, she gathered all the expensive gifts Kieran had given her—jewelry, a custom-made bow and arrows, designer bags—and listed them on a second-hand trading website. Then, she contacted a real estate agent to list the old house left by her parents on the edge of the forest.

After doing all this, Elara felt a weight lift off her shoulders and collapsed onto the bed. Her phone vibrated a few times.

It was from Serafina. She had sent over a dozen photos, accompanied by a message.

"Elara, Kieran and I are going to Mayfair for a ski trip for a few days. Be a good girl and watch the house while we're gone, okay?"

Even without opening the photos, Elara knew they were likely more images of Serafina and Kieran showing off their affection.

Since they went public with their relationship, Serafina had made a habit of sending photos after every date, as if declaring her sovereignty.

In the past, seeing these photos would have kept Elara awake all night, crying until her eyes were swollen. But now, since she had decided to regard Kieran only as her former guardian, she felt indifferent to Serafina's bragging.

Whether Serafina was doing it intentionally or not, Elara didn't care anymore.

She calmly replied with a single message: "Okay, have fun."