Loading promotion info...
The Alpha Ex’s Grovel Scent of Cedar on Our Secret Wolf Pup
Novelix
Completed
"The Alpha rejected me in front of the entire pack. The mate bond burned and shattered the instant he rejected me. With nothing left to hope for, I boarded a plane to Seattle with a three-month-old pup growing inside me. Three years later, I came back to the pack. The Alpha fell to his knees the moment he scented his son. But kneeling doesn't erase what he did. The moon chose us once. This time, I choose for myself."
Chapters (2)
第1章
The next day, Alpha Adrian publicly said to the entire pack:
“I, Adrian of the Silvermoon Pack, reject you, Omega Nora, as my mate.”
I was standing right outside the medical center.
The wolf soul Aster inside me let out a tearing howl. I clenched my back teeth so hard they nearly broke, saying nothing.
The mate bond burned and shattered the instant he rejected me.
He couldn’t feel my pain.
And I could no longer sense any of his emotions either.
He wouldn’t even keep my scent in his memory, and he ordered all of my medical records erased.
Six months later, I heard him announce, “I already have someone I truly want to mark.”
Fine.
I touched my three-month-old pup and booked a flight to Seattle.
The beeping at the security checkpoint urged me on again and again.
I handed the ticket to the staff.
In my mind, Aster let out a faint whimper.
Too long away from the pack, she was growing weaker. But all I could do was grit my teeth and hold on.
“Don’t look back.” I roared at her in my heart.
After handing over the ticket, I walked through the security checkpoint without looking back.
Behind me was the Silvermoon Pack, and the destined mate who had rejected me in public.
Ahead of me was Seattle, the only way out for me and the pup in my belly.
The plane engines roared, shaking the cabin walls. I sat in my cramped seat and rested a trembling hand over my flat stomach. Inside me, a three-month-old pup was growing.
*Don't look back,* Aster whimpered in my mind. My silver-gray wolf soul curled into a tight, shivering ball.
I didn't look out the window. I just closed my eyes and let the darkness take over.
Three years later.
The plane tires hit the tarmac with a heavy thud. Moonlight City.
I unbuckled my seatbelt. Beside me, Leo kicked his little sneakers against the seat. He hugged a worn sketchbook tightly to his chest. His messy black hair fell over his sharp blue-gray eyes.
"Mommy?" Leo tugged my sleeve.
"What is it, baby?" I asked.
He flipped his sketchbook open. He pointed at a drawing of a large, dark scribble with sharp teeth. "Are we going to see that really scary Alpha?"
My chest tightened. A cold sweat broke out on my neck. I knelt down right there in the aisle and grabbed his small shoulders.
"Listen to me, Leo." I looked straight into his eyes. "We are not here for him."
Leo blinked. He tilted his head.
"If you see anyone with a silver moon badge on their chest, you run. You stay away from the Silvermoon Pack. Do you understand me?" I lowered my voice. I made sure every word sank in.
He nodded quickly. "I understand."
I grabbed our bags and walked off the plane. I wasn't here for Adrian. I was the director of the Seattle Stray Wolf Aid Center now. I came back to secure the municipal cooperation fund for my rescue project. Nothing else. I didn't care about the past anymore.
We checked into a short-term rental downtown. The small apartment smelled like dust and old coffee. I dropped the heavy suitcases on the hardwood floor.
I walked straight to the window and pulled the cheap plastic blinds open.
The Blackwood Group building pierced the city skyline right across the street. The massive glass facade reflected the harsh afternoon sun. It loomed over the city like a giant, mocking eye.
My breathing hitched. Aster paced nervously in the back of my mind. Her claws scratched against my skull.
I gripped the windowsill. My knuckles turned stark white.
I forced myself to look away. I unzipped the bags and unpacked Leo's small shirts. I laid out my professional gray suit for the press conference tonight. I had a job to do. I refused to let this city break me again.
The evening air in Moonlight City was freezing. I held Leo's small hand tightly in mine. We walked toward the grand entrance of the municipal charity event.
Cameras flashed near the red carpet. Reporters shouted questions over the loud chatter of the crowd.
I kept my head down. I guided Leo toward the quiet side entrance.
Then, the wind shifted.
A heavy, overwhelming scent of pine and cold rain hit my nose. My lungs froze.
Aster let out a sharp, terrified howl.
I stopped dead in my tracks. My blood ran completely cold.
Three black SUVs pulled up to the curb. The noisy crowd instantly parted.
Alpha Adrian Blackwood stepped out of the lead car.
He wore a tailored black suit. His face was carved from absolute ice. He looked exactly the same. Powerful. Ruthless. Untouchable. Beside him stood Beta Caleb, smiling that familiar, hypocritical smile for the cameras.
I tried to move my legs. They wouldn't budge. Panic rooted me to the concrete.
Adrian stopped walking. His head snapped violently in my direction.
Across the crowded, brightly lit plaza, our eyes locked.
I saw his broad chest heave. His pupils dilated rapidly, flashing a dangerous, predatory gold. Rex, his massive black wolf soul, was slamming against his consciousness. I could feel the violent ripples of his Alpha aura hitting me from fifty feet away.
He caught my scent.
Adrian shoved past a startled reporter. He walked straight toward me. The entire crowd fell silent. The air grew suffocatingly thick.
My heart pounded against my ribs. I couldn't breathe.
I didn't run. I couldn't run anymore.
I shoved Leo behind my legs. I stood tall and squared my shoulders. I dug my fingernails into my palms until the pain grounded me.
Adrian stopped exactly three feet away. His massive frame blocked out the streetlights. He smelled like power and absolute control.
He stared at my face. His golden eyes darted to my neck, checking for a mating mark. Finding bare skin, his jaw clenched hard.
"You're still alive?" Adrian's voice was a low, dangerous gravel that vibrated in my bones.
I looked right into his cold, unforgiving eyes. I didn't flinch.
"Sorry to disappoint you," I said calmly.
Caleb stepped up behind Adrian. The Beta's eyes widened in fake shock. "Nora? What on earth are you doing here?"
I ignored Caleb completely. I kept my eyes locked on the Alpha who threw me away like garbage.
Adrian took a half-step forward. His heavy leather boots clicked on the pavement. The oppressive weight of his Alpha pheromones crashed down on my shoulders, trying to force me into submission.
I planted my feet. I refused to bow my head.
Behind my knees, Leo shifted
第2章
The municipal hall smelled of expensive cologne, polished wood, and stale politics. I stood behind the heavy oak podium. I gripped the edges until my knuckles turned white. The microphone amplified my ragged breathing.
"The Seattle Stray Wolf Initiative focuses on complete rehabilitation," I said.
I kept my eyes fixed on the back wall. I refused to look down. Adrian sat in the very front row. His presence suffocated the entire room. He represented the Blackwood Group. They were the biggest sponsor of this event. His dark suit absorbed the light. His Alpha aura pressed against my skin like a physical weight. It made my stomach churn.
Caleb stood up from the seat right next to him. A smug, calculated smile twisted his lips.
"Ms. Hayes," Caleb interrupted. His voice echoed through the silent hall. "You speak so passionately about rehabilitation and commitment. Yet you abandoned your post at the Silvermoon medical center three years ago. A sudden, completely unexplained resignation. Why should this city trust your dedication now?"
Whispers broke out across the crowded hall. The pack leaders exchanged judgmental glances. I stared at Caleb. My chest tightened. My lungs burned. I remembered the cold tiles of the isolation ward. I remembered the deleted files. I remembered the absolute humiliation of being publicly rejected.
I pulled a laminated document from my presentation folder. I held it up high for the entire room to see.
"This is my Seattle advanced medical license," I said. My voice rang out clear and hard. "I earned this through three years of treating the broken wolves your packs threw away. My qualifications are printed on this paper, Mr. Ross. They are not based on your pack politics."
Caleb's jaw tightened. The smug smile vanished. He sat back down in his chair.
The presentation finally ended. The crowd immediately broke into small groups. The low hum of networking filled the room. I quickly packed my files into my briefcase. I needed to leave. I needed to get away from his scent.
"Mommy."
I spun around. The chair behind me was empty. Leo was gone.
Pure panic spiked in my blood. I scanned the crowded room. My eyes darted past the suits and dresses.
Leo stood near the front row. He stood right in front of Adrian.
I froze. My breath caught sharply in my throat. My feet glued themselves to the carpet.
Adrian loomed over my son. The Alpha looked like a dark mountain of power. A heavy silver Alpha badge sat pinned to his lapel. The metal caught the overhead lights. Leo stared directly at the badge. His big gray-blue eyes widened with pure curiosity. He reached his small hand up toward the silver wolf head.
"Leo, no!" I yelled.
I dropped my briefcase. It hit the floor with a loud thud. I sprinted toward them. I shoved past a group of startled politicians.
I was too late.
Leo's tiny fingers brushed the cold silver metal.
Adrian reacted instantly. His reflexes were brutal. He snatched Leo's wrist.
A sharp, violent gasp escaped Adrian's lips. He stared down at his own palm. His golden eyes flared with sudden, blinding light. The heavy scent of cedar and sharp winter air exploded in the room. It was Adrian's raw pheromones. They flooded the space.
Aster whimpered loudly in my mind. She paced back and forth in absolute panic.
Adrian stared down at Leo. His massive chest heaved. I saw the exact moment his wolf slammed against his consciousness. Rex recognized the bloodline. The connection was undeniable.
Leo whimpered. The overwhelming Alpha aura crushed him. His eyes flickered silver. His little body trembled violently. His wolf soul panicked under the pressure. The suppressed trauma in his blood flared up. He let out a terrified cry.
I crashed into Adrian's side. I grabbed Leo's other arm.
"Let him go!" I snarled.
I yanked Leo back against my chest. I wrapped both my arms around his shaking body. I buried his face in my neck. I shielded him from the suffocating cedar scent.
Adrian didn't move. His hand stayed suspended in the empty air. His fingers twitched. He stared blankly at Leo's arm.
Leo's sleeve had pushed up during the struggle. A distinct crescent moon birthmark sat right over his pulse point.
Adrian slowly looked down at his own wrist. He had the exact same mark.
His golden eyes snapped up. They locked onto mine. The cold, untouchable arrogance was completely gone. A chaotic storm raged in his pupils. His breathing turned ragged.
"Who is he?" Adrian asked. His voice sounded like a raw, guttural growl.
My heart pounded violently against my ribs. I squeezed Leo tighter. My nails dug into my own palms.
"He has absolutely nothing to do with you," I said.
Caleb stepped forward. He glanced dismissively at Leo. He scoffed.
"He's just an Omega's brat, Alpha," Caleb said. His tone dripped with contempt. "You don't need to care about some random stray she picked up."
Adrian didn't even look at Caleb. He kept his burning eyes fixed entirely on my face. His jaw clenched so hard a muscle jumped in his cheek. He took one slow step toward me.
"I asked you a question, Nora," Adrian said.
I didn't wait for him to speak again. I turned my back on him. I carried Leo straight toward the heavy exit doors.
My legs shook with every step. I pushed violently through the double doors. I hit the cold, biting street air. I walked faster. I practically ran down the sidewalk. I held my son tightly against my chest.
I didn't look back. I would never let him take my son.
