Episode 8%
My father had sent me everything about him–details about his achievements, family members, and even photos. But seeing him in person, he looked different from the smiling, carefree wolf I’d seen in those pictures. The man standing before me now, with his serious expression and flushed face, looked older, more mature, and undeniably attractive.1
“Are you feeling okay?” I asked, slipping his wallet back into his pocket while studying him closely.
He was tall and lean, his height so commanding that I barely reached his chin even when he looked this weak. His pale skin and sharp features, a blend of Eastern and Western elegance, gave him an exotic charm. Even his ruggedness, likely from exhaustion, couldn’t hide how good–looking he was.%
“No, I just got set up” he growled, his voice rough and laced with anger.
“Set up?” I froze mid–step as I helped him toward the bed. “What do you mean?“%
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, his piercing eyes locked onto mine, a flicker of wildness in his gaze that made my heart race. His masculine scent, a mix of pine and something uniquely him, filled the air, leaving me dizzy.
That look–it was primal, raw, and unmistakable. My wolf stirred uneasily within me, urging me to run.
Could I still escape?%
Sensing my hesitation, he moved in a flash, his grip firm on my arm as he took a quick step forward. Before I could react, he threw me onto the soft mattress.%
“Too late for that,” he said, his voice low and commanding.
Tbounced slightly on the bed, but before I could scramble away, he pinned me down.
“If you’re not planning to break off the bonding ceremony,” he began, his tone softening just enough to sound pleading, “can you at least help me out?“%
I didn’t know how to respond. I wasn’t planning to end the engagement, but being this close to someone I’d just met was overwhelming. “Good, you’re not leaving,” he said, taking my silence as agreement. Without hesitation, he leaned in, his lips claiming mine.
Two hours later, I sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing my wrist and glaring at the sleeping man beside me. My cheeks were warm with irritation. The nerve of him! Beast!%
I grabbed a pillow, ready to smack him awake, but a sudden knock on the door stopped me in my tracks.
“Thalia?” my brother’s voice called from the other side.%
Before I could answer, Jagin, still groggy, stretched over me, cracked the door open, and pulled my brother inside.
The moment my brother stepped into the room, his eyes widened like saucers.%
“I told you to get to know each other, not this well!” he sputtered, his voice a mix of shock and anger.2
“Shut up,” Jaqin mumbled weakly, collapsing back onto the bed.%
My brother’s face turned red as he clenched his fists. “Snapping at me now? What did you do to my sister? Even if you’re engaged, this is too beastly!“%
Seeing the tension escalate, I quickly stepped between them. “Brother, it’s not what you think!“%
“Then explain!” he demanded, glaring at both of us.%
I coughed awkwardly, my mind scrambling for the right words. We hadn’t gone that far, but we’d crossed a line no ordinary friends would. How could I explain that?
Before I could answer, Jaqin spoke up. His voice was calm but tired. “You know my family situation. This time, I got caught up in their schemes and had no other choice.“%
My brother’s angry expression softened slightly, though his brows remained furrowed. After a tense pause, he finally let it go.
On the way back to the banquet, curiosity got the better of me. “What did Jaqin mean by his family situation?”
Kirst sighed, his shoulders sagging under the weight of the explanation. “It’s complicated,” he said, but seeing my persistence, he finally gave in.%
Apparently, the Jaqin family patriarch had planned to hand over the leadership of the pack to Jaqin once he secured a strong marriage alliance. But not everyone in the family was happy about that decision./
Jagin’s second aunt, in particular, was fiercely opposed. She believed the next leadership should fall between her husband or Jaqin’s father. However, neither man was suited to lead. Jaqin’s father preferred peace and solitude, while his second uncle had a history of being manipulated and scammed.%
The second aunt wasn’t willing to give up, though. Unable to sway the patriarch’s decision, she turned to sabotage. Her schemes became increasingly desperate, with her latest plot involving her son, who had just turned eighteen.%
“She wanted to use her son to cause a scandal,” my brother explained grimly. “Anything to disrupt the engagement and ruin Jaqin’s reputation “E
Hearing this, I felt a pang of sympathy for Jagin. He’d been forced into an impossible position, fighting against his own family while trying to uphold the engagement that tied our fates together.
Back at the banquet, I found myself stealing glances at Jagin. He had joined the crowd, his expression smiling yet unreadable, but there was quiet strength in the way he carried himself despite everything.%
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9:03 PM
For the first time, I began to see beyond the title of “fiance” and the man burdened by his family’s expectations. Beneath it all was someone fighting to protect what mattered most–someone who, despite the chaos, had chosen me as his mate.
And as much as I hated to admit it, my wolf had already chosen him, too.
