chapter 6

Zane hugged Scarlett tenderly, his smile bright. “Mate fatigue? How could Scarlett and I ever experience something like that?”

The others laughed.

“Our Alpha is the ideal mate. Four years is nothing—even after four hundred years with Luna, he wouldn’t get tired.”

Amid the growing laughter, Zane took a sip of wine and said in a low, suggestive tone,

“A lifetime is so long… Sleeping with just one person would definitely become dull…”

He deliberately stressed the word “sleeping,” stirring excitement in the room. The group began chanting,

“Oho! Sounds like our Alpha lives quite the exciting life.”

Every word struck Scarlett’s ears like thunder.

The berry he had just fed her now felt like poison in her mouth, the bitterness spreading from her throat to the pit of her stomach.

She looked up at Zane, yet his eyes still held warmth. In that moment, her blood ran cold, as though she’d fallen into an icy abyss.

“Alright, quiet down,”

Zane snapped sharply at the group, mistaking her silence for curiosity. “Don’t let Scarlett sense anything odd.”

“Ah, what’s there to worry about?” someone retorted. “Luna can’t hear us anyway. Later, just tell her we were talking about tomorrow’s bonding ceremony.”

“By the way, Zane,” another voice cut in, “who’s better—Luna or Ms. Spencer?”

Zane leaned back on the sofa, his expression unchanging, but his tone turned sly,

“Scarlett is my Luna. She’s special… but what’s life without a little… variety?”

The rowdy cheers in the private room grew louder, nearly shattering Scarlett’s composure.

Zane picked up a berry, rolling it between his fingers thoughtfully before adding,

“Ms. Spencer… young, beautiful, open-minded… She’ll take whatever I give her…”

He left the sentence unfinished, but the implication sent another wave of excitement through the crowd. He subtly signaled for quiet with his eyes, nodding toward Scarlett, then peeled the berry and brought it to her lips.

But Scarlett, disgusted by the thought of his hands on the fruit, turned her head away.

Sensing her reluctance, Zane patiently signed, “What’s wrong? Tired of these? Want something else?”

Now, even the word “tired” made Scarlett tremble uncontrollably.

“No,” she signed back. “If I like something, I like only that one thing. That doesn’t change.”

Zane took her hand affectionately, smiling warmly. “Scarlett, I’m the same.”

Scarlett looked straight at him. His gaze was still tender, his hands fluent in crafting loving signs.

If she hadn’t heard those words herself, she would never have believed the man beside her was capable of such hypocrisy.

Listening to their conversation, she finally understood, everyone knew about their relationship. The only one kept completely in the dark, was her.

Perhaps the Moon Goddess had taken pity—awakening her wolf soul and restoring her hearing.

Zane was still playing the devoted lover.

He didn’t know Scarlett knew everything.

She knew where he went every night. She knew his so-called love couldn’t withstand the pull of instinct.

Noticing Scarlett’s quiet tension, Zane decided to leave early with her.

Once in the car, his communicator buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then turned to her. “Urgent pack message,” he explained before answering on speaker.

A woman’s voice, sweet and pleading, called out “Zane.” Zane listened for a few minutes before ending the call, looking apologetically at Scarlett.

“Sorry, Scarlett. The pack has an emergency territorial meeting. I have to go.”

Scarlett didn’t expose him. She simply nodded with a faint smile.

“Pack matters come first. You should go.”

Zane reached out to touch her head, but she turned away. He assumed she was still upset, like before when he’d left for pack duties.

But remembering what Cecilia had said on the call, he hesitated only a moment before choosing to leave. Before going, he signed, “Scarlett, the driver will take you back to the territory. I’ve prepared a surprise for you tonight.”

As Zane disappeared into the distance, Scarlett’s pent-up anguish dissolved into silent tears. She had heard the transmission clearly.

Cecilia said her family had arranged an alliance marriage. And so he abandoned Scarlett, rushing off eagerly to stop it.

As for how he planned to stop it… Scarlett didn’t need it spelled out. She could guess.

She just hadn’t realized Zane could lie so brazenly. How many of those lies had he told her over the years?

She didn’t take the driver’s car back. Instead, she went alone to the market and bought a moonstone storage device.

On the way back, it began to pour, and the familiar pain flared within her.

Standing at the market entrance waiting for a ride, she suddenly received a video transmission… from an unknown number.