Chapter 4

I had replied honestly:

"They aren't from me. Other girls asked me to hand them over."

"Good." He had let out a sigh of relief. "Let's make one thing clear. Don't ever catch feelings for me. In my eyes, you’re just a Beta's daughter, and you'll be my future Beta assistant."

I had felt a dull ache in my heart, but I quietly accepted my role.

When he was twelve, he collapsed from exhaustion during his first endurance trial. As his caretaker, I rushed to hand him water. He had smiled and said, *"You're the only reliable one, Emily."*

That was the first time my heart had skipped a beat for him.

That was when I realized my feelings had crossed the line. But I knew a Beta's daughter had no right to dream of mating with the future Alpha.

He didn't love me.

I started caring about my appearance at pack gatherings, clumsily trying to put on makeup.

He had glanced at me and said coldly, *"It doesn't suit you."*

Later, the Ridgefield Pack invited me to join them as a senior Beta, but I turned them down just to stay by his side.

At sixteen, during a campfire game, people kept teasing us. I had gathered my courage and jokingly said, "I like you, James." He had instantly frowned and snapped, *"Don't make jokes like that."*

The final straw was the Full Moon Gathering three months ago.

The Alpha heirs from all the neighboring packs had gathered, supposedly to find their fated mates, but realistically it was an alliance-building event.

James had asked if I was going. I told him I wasn't sure.

He assumed I was going there to chase him.

But that night, I was actually on a date with Ethan.

We had met back at the Academy, and running into each other again made us realize the Moon Goddess had blessed us as fated mates.

But someone had spotted me at the gathering, and by the next morning, rumors were everywhere claiming I was trying to force myself on James.

James was convinced I had started those rumors myself.

A sudden screech of brakes pulled me back to reality. The car had stopped in an empty lot near the pack border.

I took a deep breath, deciding to finally tell him the truth about that night.

"James, about that night at the Full Moon Gathering..."

Before I could finish, he threw his door open and rushed out without looking back.

"Grace, don't worry! I'm coming right now. Just wait for me!"

He walked away with absolute urgency, leaving me entirely alone in the cold car.

That was the first time I heard the name Grace.

She was his fated mate.

I sat there and waited until the sky turned pitch black, realizing he was never coming back.

Why would the pull of a fated mate ever care about a plain Beta's feelings?

I wanted to call Catherine.

But I was terrified James would accuse me of making a scene and upsetting his precious mate.

In the end, I pushed the door open and walked all the way back home on foot.

***

A few days later, I ran into Grace at the pack diner.

She walked over with her tray, offering me a sweet smile.

"I heard you’re James’s childhood friend. I think we crossed paths years ago."

I smiled politely and invited her to sit down.

She noticed the sparkling ring on my finger and gasped. "Oh! You're engaged? Congratulations!"

Before I could speak, James walked over out of nowhere and quickly intervened.

"She made that decision on her own. It has nothing to do with me."

He quickly added, "I only drove her home the other day out of courtesy."

Luna Patricia, who was walking behind him, chimed in. "Yes, indeed! Our James is just naturally helpful. Don't overthink it, Grace."

Grace glanced at him but remained silent.

I remembered when they first met.

I had been helping James train on the field, and he was complaining that I wasn't retrieving the weights fast enough.

While picking up the gear, he had spotted Grace practicing her violin under a maple tree.

James had frozen. He later told me that was the exact moment he felt the fated mate bond snap into place. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her.

Even though Grace went abroad to study shortly after, the bond never faded.

The moment she returned, they immediately got together. No wonder James was so eager to settle down and get engaged.

Within a few days, the news of my upcoming marriage spread throughout the entire Stoneback Pack.

Some of our old classmates organized a party.

"Emily is getting married, and James is getting mated to his fated mate. Two major celebrations! We absolutely have to celebrate!"