I carefully held the cake, steadily making my way through the territory of the Silver Claw pack.

Today is Ethan's birthday, and I want to surprise him.

Three years ago, I fled from the Moon Shadow pack, refusing an arranged marriage that would have made me a pawn. I abandoned my identity as Luna, gave up power—all for freedom, all for him.

"Look, Selena's here."

Several pack members snickered under their breath.

In their eyes, I was just an ordinary werewolf, unworthy of standing beside someone like Ethan.

"He's in the VIP room," a girl said with fake sweetness, her eyes brimming with contempt, "hanging out with his friends."

I ignored her. After tonight, everything would be different. Ethan had promised to tell me something important on his birthday. I was ready to accept his proposal.

But as I reached the door, amid the laughter spilling from inside, I heard a name.

Vivian.

Through the crack in the door, I saw Ethan's knuckles whitening around his wine glass, his gray-green eyes flickering with a light I'd never seen before.

"She'll be back next week," someone said. "I wanted to surprise you, but figured you should know in advance."

Ethan's breath caught, his fingers absently tracing the pale band on his ring finger—where Vivian's promise ring had once been.

"When exactly?" His voice dropped to a whisper, almost a sigh, heavy with longing.

Vivian, Luna of the Eastern Ridge pack, Ethan's first love. She'd been gone for two years, and in all that time, he'd never once mentioned her to me.

"Damn, you still love her, don't you?"

A brief silence. Then his voice emerged, soft with an almost reverent tenderness:

"Some people leave marks on your heart that can never be erased."

My heart plummeted. He had never spoken about me with such tenderness. Not once.

"What about Selena?" someone asked. "Aren't you two about to get engaged?"

I held my breath, waiting for his answer.

But Ethan's expression suddenly hardened, all tenderness vanishing.

"Selena?" His tone turned dismissive, almost mocking. "She's just an ordinary werewolf. Fine for a fling, but marriage? Don't be ridiculous."

The cake trembled in my hands.

"But didn't you say you were going to propose to her—"

"Just bullshit." He cut in impatiently, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Silver Claw needs powerful alliances, pure bloodlines. Not some nobody like her."

"So what are you planning to do with her?"

Ethan laughed, arrogant and certain: "Keep her as my mistress."

"What if she refuses?"

He laughed loudly, haughty and confident: "She's crazy about me. How could she possibly leave? Without me, she's nothing."

In that moment, my world shattered.

Three years of love, three years of trust—all of it lies.

When he spoke of Vivian, his eyes held reverence, his tone gentle—as if guarding the only light in his world. But when speaking of me, he sounded like someone discarding a used toy, not bothering to fake even a shred of genuine feeling.

I stumbled backward, careful not to be discovered. The cake shook in my hands, the frosting beginning to melt—just like my heart.

In a quiet corner, I set down the cake and pulled out my phone. My fingers trembled so badly I could barely dial. Finally, I called the number I hadn't used in three years.

"Dad." My voice was surprisingly steady. "It's me, Selena."

Silence on the other end, then my father's voice, thick with emotion: "Selena? Is that really you? Are you alright?"

I looked up at the full moon outside the window and took a deep breath.

"Father," I said softly, "I'll accept the arranged marriage."

Too Late, Alpha：The Secret Heiress — Chapter 9

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