Chapter 1

Nightfall quietly descended, casting the bustling business street at the center of the pack in a neon-lit, vibrant, and lively atmosphere.

Adina watched as the man she had been eyeing finally emerged from the mall.

The man fiddled with the ring box in his hand, his expression cheerful as he walked. Suddenly,

"Ah!" Adina collided with the man and fell to the ground.

Her low-cut, tight-fitting dress struggled to cover her curves, drawing the man’s gaze immediately.

"Sorry…" Adina looked up, her wavy, black hair framing a face that was both charming and alluring, her deep eyes meeting his.

The man stared at her, squatting down with concern in his voice, "Are you hurt anywhere, little beauty?"

"It hurts here…" Adina lifted his hand to her chest, her eyebrows knitted slightly, lightly biting her red lips.

The man’s hand stiffened momentarily, then he gave a comfortable squeeze to the soft flesh.

"Let big brother give you a massage…" The man pulled Adina up, his smile wide with desire evident on his face.

Hotel.

As soon as they entered, the man switched on the lights, and before the door was fully closed, he pinned Adina against it, kissing her.

Adina’s chest heaved intensely, feeling her inner thighs wet from the heat enveloping her, moaning softly.

The man’s lips never paused in their aggressive assault, hands moving to slowly strip away Adina’s clothes, revealing her ample bosom, caressing them ruthlessly.

His mouth trailed down to her jaw, neck, collarbone, finally reaching her nipples, sucking as a baby would, savoring the taste.

His agile tongue circled her areola, his head buried deep between her breasts.

Adina was already drenched below, and the man could wait no longer, lifting her by the hips. Adina straddled the man's waist.

The hard object pressed against her through the pants, friction building, and before long Adina found herself on the bed, the man hurriedly unfastening his belt, eager to remove Adina’s pants.

"I haven’t showered, sweetheart," Adina cooed.

The man didn’t stop, clearly unwilling to halt their progress.

"I want it to be fresh and clean." Adina’s hand caressed the stiff object, her finger lightly tapping the tip, making the man tense.

Pleased by her actions, the man got off the bed and headed to the bathroom, where the sound of running water soon followed.

Adina quickly wiped the moisture between her thighs, dressed hastily, and quietly slipped off the bed, extracting the ring box from the man’s coat pocket. She opened the door quietly and dashed out.

…………

"Damn!" The silence of a cold alley was shattered by a female voice.

"Wow, master thief, you pulled off a big job!" Ava, her wolf, couldn't hold back her laughter, teasing.

Adina cursed under her breath, squinting at the diamond ring in the streetlight. Its poor craftsmanship and terrible clarity became apparent, and she’d prostituted herself for something not even worth calling a fake!

This scumbag! Bringing such trash late at night to deceive, isn’t he afraid of retribution?

"What a cheapskate of a guy," Adina muttered, fidgeting with the "big" ring, taking a deep breath to calm her anger.

Adina angrily brushed dust off her pants, feeling a pang of disappointment.

"Let’s go, try our luck again. It’s Christmas Eve; maybe there’s a big score out there." Ava consoled.

"I can’t return empty-handed on such a lively Christmas Eve."

Adina rallied, tossing the ring into a nearby trash can, hands in her jacket pockets, returning to the neon-lit, bustling street to search for her next "lucky" guy.

Adina looked back frequently, discreetly eyeing every passerby but had yet to find a target.

"Why aren’t any rich folks out celebrating?" Adina found a secluded spot to squat, her gaze wandering among the crowd.

"Keep waiting," Ava responded nonchalantly, always patient.

Meanwhile, a crowd gathered suddenly at the mall entrance, catching Adina’s interest—was there work to be done? Buying the cheapest hot tea from a stand to warm her hands, she edged toward the crowd.

Above, a distant noise grew louder: a black helicopter hovered over the mall center, its rotor blades stirring the frigid air but doing little to quell the surrounding gossip.

"I heard the young master of the Alpha family has returned to the pack! These rich folks are so extravagant!"

"Apparently, he’s back for a wedding. News a few days ago mentioned his engagement to the Doctor family’s daughter…"

"A power couple! Surely, it’ll be a wedding event of the year! I wonder if they’ll have cash falling from the sky…"

Amid the fervent discussions, Adina only caught—cash falling from the sky?

"Really?"

Adina glanced up at the helicopter poised to land in front of the mall, feeling a tinge of envy: the wealthy certainly make an entrance flying high!

Her musings interrupted as the helicopter touched down, a legion of black-suited bodyguards emerged seemingly from nowhere, pushing the crowd back several meters.

As the cabin door opened, the air went silent.

Everyone craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the rumored young master of the Alpha family.

First, two men in black jumped down, standing respectfully on either side of the door. Then, a gloved hand grasped the handrail.

The densely packed crowd emitted no sound, enveloped in a hushed pressure, even breathing carefully.

The man descended from the helicopter, tall and poised, clad in a black coat, his demeanor blending deeply with the night.

"Alpha Alaric, sir!" came an eager voice. A man in a suit, carrying a briefcase, rushed through the crowd to greet him, bowing respectfully, "Miss Rosalind would like to meet you."

Alaric’s eyebrows furrowed instantly; he clearly didn’t want to hear that name right now.

"How did she find out?"

Alaric had returned to handle the family company’s plummeting stock but had kept his movements secret to avoid alerting competitors, strictly enforcing confidentiality.

"Alpha Alaric, sir, Miss Rosalind…" the man began cautiously.

Alaric cut him off with a cold tone, "Is the meeting at 8:30? Are all the shareholders present?"

"Miss Rosalind is in the top-floor meeting room waiting for you, so…" the man glanced up nervously, "...so she instructed me to delay the meeting by an hour…"

Alaric said nothing more, glancing at the top floor of the mall before checking his watch, his expression growing darker.

In the crowd, Adina sipped her tea through the straw, her pretty eyes observing his every move, a mischievous smile tugging at her lips.

He truly carried an air of nobility, even angry, so gracefully. Yet, that wasn’t the point—on his wrist was a watch, with a sapphire face and the Patek Philippe logo, glittering...

So...

There’s a big fish right in front of me! Why am I just watching the show?

If successful, it would definitely cover Yara's medical expenses for a year!

With newfound determination, Adina weaved through the outskirts of the crowd towards her target, quickly making her way to the front.

But with so many bodyguards around him, getting close was still tricky.

While Adina was strategizing, there seemed to be another commotion ahead—a swarm of media journalists poured through the main entrance of the mall, blocking Alaric’s path with cameras and microphones.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

"Alpha Alaric, sir! Are you back to prepare for your wedding with Rosalind Doctor?"

"Alpha Alaric, sir! Will marrying into the Doctor family benefit Alpha Corporation?"

"When is the wedding date…?"

The black-suited bodyguards struggled to fend off the barrage of flashbulbs, trapping Alaric in the middle, unable to advance or retreat.

A golden opportunity!

Amid the chaos, Adina pushed forward, just in time for someone behind her to shove, sending her sprawling towards Alaric.

Her tea cup flew into the air, as the dense crowd instinctively created a circular clearing…

Sensing Adina, Alaric turned swiftly, his brows knitted with anger.

Adina’s lips parted, watching the man draw nearer, her eyes betraying a flicker of cunning despite her alarm.

Alaric deftly sidestepped Adina’s "embrace," and as she fell, her tea splashed onto his pristine shoes.

With the crowd’s suppressed gasp, the air filled with the cheap scent of spilled tea.

A faint aroma of cedar drifted into Alaric’s senses. He glared coldly at Adina on the ground.

"Get her out of here! Take a look at yourself and dare to approach Alpha Alaric this way!" The man in the suit pointed at Adina, scolding harshly.

As two sunglasses-wearing men dragged Adina to her feet, she locked eyes with Alaric.

A pair of perfectly shaped narrow blue eyes, like a piece of shattered stardust: beautiful, yet emanating a cold, dangerous atmosphere.

Adina froze momentarily, surprised to find such a striking man in the pack.

Wait… Did they say he’s the young master of the Alpha family? Her thoughts snapped back, yet Alaric’s gaze remained fixed on her.

Feeling uneasy under his scrutiny, Adina averted her eyes from that chilling stare.

"Move aside!" Alaric commanded, his voice deathly cold, his overpowering aura extinguishing the media’s zeal, causing them to step back naturally and clear a path…

The entourage followed Alaric into Zenith Global Tower; no one dared to approach or question anymore, and the crowd quickly dispersed.

People around remarked on Alpha Alaric’s formidable presence.

But the girl tossed aside on the roadside soon faded from memory.

A road now divided her from the bustling plaza.

Adina stood up and checked her pocket for the heavy bounty.

"Thanks, handsome. Karma will be good to you."

Adina clasped her hands in gratitude toward the mall’s direction, transformed into a silver-furred wolf, and vanished into the night.