Chapter 1

This city belonged to the werewolves.

The economy was controlled by the packs, City Hall was run by the elite families, and even the VIP wards in the hospitals were only open to werewolves.

Humans here were nothing but second-class citizens.

We did the dirtiest jobs, lived in the most run-down neighborhoods, and no one would ever listen to our complaints.

My name is Elaine Carter, a regular human girl.

Like every other human in this city, I had learned to keep my head down and just survive.

But I never expected that my boyfriend was actually an Alpha.

I was selling some used furniture on Facebook Marketplace when a girl messaged me to haggle.

"Can you go any lower on the price?"

"I just moved out on my own, and my boyfriend found this place for me."

"Even though he's super rich and says he wants to marry me, I don't want to be a financial burden to him."

"Can you take twenty dollars off? I can pick it up myself!"

When I was in college and dating James, I used to be just as careful with money. Feeling a bit of sympathy, I agreed.

That evening, two people showed up at the gate of my apartment complex.

The girl looked incredibly proud.

"Aren't I amazing? I spent less than a hundred bucks and got a practically brand-new washing machine!"

The man beside her looked at her with pure adoration.

"Yes, my baby is the smartest. I’m the Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack, you know. Do you really think I can't afford to take care of you? I make money so you can spend it. Stop trying to save pennies."

The man smiled and looked up. But the moment our eyes met, I froze.

It was my boyfriend, James. The same James who had always been so careful with money.

And did I just hear him say he was the Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack?

The Alpha of the very werewolf pack that controlled the entire city’s economy?

The air went dead silent. I could clearly see the panic and shock flash across James’s face.

I parted my lips, about to speak, but James shot me a sharp, warning glare.

Nina didn't notice the tension. She just pouted cutely.

"I don't want to be a parasite! What if you dump me one day?"

"Wait, what are you looking at? Why are you ignoring me?"

James snapped back to reality, rubbing Nina's head.

"How could I ever dump you?"

Following his gaze, Nina looked at the washing machine beside me.

"Everything works fine, right?"

I pulled myself together, forcing a tight smile as I introduced the machine.

James suddenly spoke.

"Why are you selling your furniture? Are you short on cash?"

I was stunned for a second.

Money? Who isn't short on cash?

Before I could answer, Nina playfully punched James’s arm.

"Stop being rude!"

"Don't mind him, girl. My boyfriend is just like this. He’s so loaded that he doesn't understand how hard life is for regular people like us."

She gave James a playful, scolding look, then pushed up her sleeves, revealing a diamond-encrusted bracelet.

"I wanted a bracelet for my birthday and saved my allowance for six months to buy it. But he just bought me the entire new season's collection! I still have unopened boxes sitting in my closet!"

Last summer, I had fallen in love with a dress. It was three hundred dollars on sale.

James had offered to pay, but I stopped him.

I had smiled, pretending it was no big deal.

"I don't need it for work. It’s a waste of money."

"Wouldn't it be better to save that money for our house fund?"

It wasn't that I didn't want it. It was just that two days prior, James had complained about his salary being docked three hundred dollars for being late.

"And when I had a fight with my family, I just wanted to find a cheap roommate situation. But he went ahead and bought an entire apartment and put it under my name!" Nina continued, giggling.

I remembered when I was renting my place. I had screamed at the landlord until my face was red just to save a hundred dollars on utilities.

James had been so angry seeing me mistreated that he wanted to break the lease immediately, but I refused.

I only did it because that apartment was close to James’s office. It saved his commute time and let him sleep in a little longer every day.

"Oh, and because I love music, he got me front-row tickets to my favorite concert! Gosh, now that I think about it, I really am a parasite!"

Nina was complaining, but her voice was dripping with pure happiness.

Meanwhile, I stood there, my face turning paler by the second.

James cleared his throat. Nina slapped her forehead in mock regret.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to show off our relationship like that."

"Let’s exchange Instagrams! Let me know if you have any other furniture to sell!"

James tried to stop her, but Nina quickly scanned my QR code.

"I'm not relying on you, James! I'm going to be independent!"

A black Bentley was parked by the curb. James gave a helpless sigh.

"Well, can you at least take my car? I don't want us hauling a washing machine down the street like idiots."

When I moved, I had also bought second-hand furniture online.

To save on delivery fees, I rejected the movers and hauled a heavy couch and cabinets up to the fourth floor all by myself.

So in James's eyes, I was just an idiot.

It wasn't until they drove away that I felt like I could breathe again.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from James:

[It's cold outside. Go home first. We need to talk tonight.]

I let out a self-deprecating laugh, my hand gently resting on my slightly bloated stomach.

James loved kids. Just a few days ago, I was thinking about how to give him the surprise.

Now, it was nothing but a cruel joke.

Even though I knew James was with Nina right now, I couldn't help but call him.

The first call was rejected.

The second, rejected again.

By the third time, his phone was completely switched off.

I looked down and realized my nails had dug so deep into my palms that they were bleeding.

The wound was tiny, but my entire heart was throbbing with a numbing pain.

Once I got home, I finally accepted Nina’s friend request.