Chapter 1

On my 22nd birthday, my Alpha, Ethan, handed me a paper bag.

I opened it. Inside was a piece of cheap, revealing lace lingerie.

He kept his head down, cutting his steak, refusing to look me in the eye.

"Sophia owes a massive debt to some loan sharks. They demanded she sleep with them to clear it. But those men... they play too rough. Sophia won't survive it. She'll die."

"I just need you to take her place for one night. Just one night. When you come back, I'll finally mark you."

Sophia was an Omega he had rescued from an underground casino. For her, Ethan—the proud Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack—was begging me for the very first time.

"I'll make it up to you. I'll treat you twice as well from now on."

My nails dug deep into the edge of the table, but I forced a smile. "Why wait? I just got a full-body spa treatment. Tell him to come over tonight."

Ethan frowned, his eyes darkening. "If you don't want to do it, just say so. I'll find another way. You don't have to be so bitter."

I blinked, genuinely confused.

"I'm serious. Back at The Den, they trained us to always get a full-body spa before hosting a guest. It keeps the skin soft and smooth."

I replayed my words in my head. I didn't think I had said anything wrong.

But Ethan was angry. He slammed his fork down.

"I truly see you as my mate, Lily. You don't ever need to bring up your past at that place again."

I knew his words were empty. If he really saw me as his mate, he would never have asked me to sell my body to save another woman.

My old coworker's words from The Den echoed in my mind: *“To an Alpha, an Omega is just a piece of meat. You think the Alpha rescued you because he cares? He just moved you to a prettier cage.”*

Ethan looked at me. Suddenly, he reached out and gently tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

His fingertips brushed my cheek, sending a jolt of static electricity through my skin.

My inner wolf whimpered, wanting to lean into his palm. But I forced myself to pull back.

He withdrew his hand, his face freezing back into its usual cold mask.

"Lily, I will mark you. I'll give you the most grand Mate Ceremony this pack has ever seen."

I knew why he was saying this. The ceremony was just a consolation prize. A bribe to ease his guilty conscience.

I should have been thrilled. I had waited five years for this. But right now, my chest felt completely hollow.

Still, I nodded and forced a smile. "Can you stay with me tonight?"

He didn't even know it was my birthday. It was also the anniversary of the day we first met.

"I'm not going anywhere tonight," Ethan smiled, patting my head as he pulled me into his arms.

His embrace tightened. For a brief second, my wolf felt safe. Then, his phone buzzed.

I saw his fingers clench on the edge of the table, then slowly loosen.

His wolf wanted to stay. But the man was hesitating.

In the end, the man won.

He let go of me and answered the call.

My werewolf hearing was sharp. I could hear Sophia crying hysterically on the other end. Ethan instinctively pushed me aside, already halfway out of his seat.

Then, he remembered his promise. For the first time, he hesitated.

But the hesitation didn't last.

"There's an emergency with the pack. I have to go. Go to sleep early, don't wait up."

He didn't even bother to make up a good lie.

I knew I could never compete with Sophia in his heart.

But I just nodded quietly, ignoring the sharp, stabbing pain in my chest.

I shouldn't have greedily asked for more. Being by Ethan's side was already a miracle.

We had met at The Den.

It was my very first day on the job.

I was wearing a skimpy bunny suit, trembling as I poured drinks for wealthy Alphas. Even when my fishnets ripped, I couldn't afford to throw them away, and the customers treated it like some cheap provocation.

Just as a fat Alpha grabbed me, trying to force a kiss, Ethan—who had been silent the whole night—spoke up and bought me out.

I had been by his side ever since.

Ethan was always cold, but he saved his rare smiles for me.

He would drape a blanket over me when I fell asleep on the couch. He memorized my favorite foods. He would unconsciously breathe deeper whenever I walked by.

And my breath would hitch whenever he got close, dizzy from his scent, wanting nothing more than to touch him.

I thought I was special. Until Sophia showed up.

I watched Ethan get into brutal street fights for her. I saw him get violently drunk, waiting outside her apartment building until dawn just to make sure she was safe.

He would take pictures of a random blooming flower just to share it with her.

All the "childish" things he used to scoff at were things he happily did for the woman he actually loved.

Before, I still held onto a stupid, desperate hope that we would end up together.

But now? I just wanted to pay him back for saving me.

I closed my eyes and made a silent birthday wish. After tonight, I would owe Ethan nothing.