---- Omega. I'll handle things here." Connor carried Elena away, not even glancing back, his soft reassurances to her echoing down the hallway. My mother trailed after Connor's father, apologizing over and over, humbly. Six years of fake love, six years of meticulous pretense, all torn to shreds in that moment, gone up in smoke. With the small bag I'd already packed, I left that house full of lies and humiliation and checked into a rundown inn on the outskirts of pack territory. Before I left, I mailed Connor the pack talisman he'd given me, the one that symbolized his Alpha protection, along with the surveillance camera I'd pulled out of the teddy bear. Figured he'd get this "congratulatory gift" right on the day of the Marking ceremony. ---- I thought that with my complete disappearance, this whole farce would finally be over. But that night, Connor sent me an encrypted message, his tone a mix of his usual bossiness and "reassurance": "Elena agreed to play along with me for this ceremony. It's what the pack needs, and it's also a small way to repay her for her help before. You hurt her, which made things a bit awkward for me with the elders. Making you apologize was just to smooth things over, to stop those old geezers from causing trouble for your mother. Don't overthink it." "Get some rest. I had a gown custom-made for you; you'll wear that on the day of the ceremony. Be good. Remember, no matter what happens, I am your only Alpha. That will never change." But I knew this show wasn't for those so-called elders. ---- It was for me. Only my complete disappearance could truly end this ridiculous revenge. For the next two days, I didn't go back to that so- called "home." He didn't contact me again either. He was probably busy preparing for that grand Marking ceremony. Busy choosing jewels and fine clothes for his precious Omega, Elena, tokens of a Luna's honor. I didn't receive the "gift" he promised. All I heard was that, to soothe a frightened Elena, he'd splashed out a fortune on a piece of land near Moon Lake, a territory teeming with spiritual energy, to be the future Luna's exclusive estate. It was a sacred place all werewolves longed for, said to boost an Omega's fertility.