Hailey's POV
Just as I was about to leave, Connor suddenly stood up. He strode directly towards me with a calm yet resolute look. "I'll send you back," he said. I was taken aback, then smiled and shook my head, "No need, I can handle it myself." He ignored my answer, grabbed the car keys, and walked out. As he walked past me, he commanded coldly, "Follow me." Surprised yet oddly touched. I followed him to the car and got in. Soon, he drove me to the warehouse near the café, where I was living. Connor glanced around my place as if scrutinizing there. "You live here?" I quickly said, "It's good and safe here. And Vernon said I don't have to pay rent." Hearing my words, his lips tightened. After a moment, he took my hand and said, "Come back with me." "I really like it here," I pulled my hand back and explained earnestly. He didn't press further. He just nodded gently before turning on his heel and walking away. I watched as he receded into the distance, leaving me somewhat at a loss for words. Why was he always so unpredictable, and always slipping away without a word? Back in my cozy room, after freshening up, I was about to rest when a sudden knock interrupted the quiet. Opening the door, I was surprised to find Connor standing there, holding a few bags. "Connor? What brings you back so soon?" I asked, puzzled. He didn't answer that, merely handing me the bags. "These are for you." I took and opened them, in which I found an array of expensive items: Jo Malone scented candles, organic vegetables, steaks, and a bottle of premium olive oil. "Connor, these..." I stammered, my eyes widening in astonishment, feeling a mix of gratitude and bewilderment. "They're all from our trip to the supermarket today. I don't need them," he said before leaving straightly. I stood there, dumbfounded. I wondered, 'What was Connor up to? Relieving the poor? How could he suddenly change so much? Where was the aloof overlord I used to know?' I found him too strange. Despite his abrasive behavior, I had tried to tolerate and appease him in the past, but he remained untouched. Yet now, I had scolded him and left, he seemed different. Pondering, I suddenly felt a bit shy. 'Could it be that Connor... liked me?' the thought popped up. I shook my head vigorously, dispelling the absurd thought. 'No, that couldn't be. He had made it clear that our marriage was a forced one, devoid of any true affection.' I told myself. I couldn't understand why he had changed, but thanks to him, I didn't have to endure daily meals of just bread. The following day, the sunlight streamed through the windows of the cozy café as I bustled about inside. Suddenly, my phone buzzed—it was a call from Alpha Johnny. "Hey Hailey, we've got trouble here." I was flustered, and quickly asked, "What happened?" "It rained heavily in the mountains, and the roof of the classroom was damaged, injuring several children," he said, a little helpless. Anxiously, I pressed, "What about the twenty thousand dollars I had transferred earlier? It could be used to renovate the classrooms and treat the injured children." "All went for classroom repair. Most of the children sustained minor injuries, but two are younger ones and are still recovering at home," he replied. I fell silent. The Mountain Pack was impoverished, and the children were malnourished. They were all underage and didn't have their own wolves yet, which meant they weren't as resilient as adult werewolves. "I will transfer some more money to you as soon as possible," I said firmly. "Thank you, Hailey. You've already done a lot for our pack," he said gratefully. After ending the call, I decided to look for another job. All day long, I searched high and low but couldn't find a suitable opportunity. As I was walking home in the evening, a few people stopped me. I had a good memory and generally wouldn't forget people I've met before. At a glance, I recognized these people. I met them at the party the day I first went to Connor's house. Matt was their leader, and he was the one who criticized my coffee as terrible. I looked around, checking for passersby, for their presence would be dangerous for a fight. However, Matt seemed not as arrogant nor mischievous as he used to be. He wore a smile, saying, "Hailey, there seems to have been a misunderstanding last time. Today, we're here to invite you to hang out." "Huh?" I blinked my eyes. Inviting me to hang out? I could still recall his attitude last time. It was hard to believe he would extend such an invitation. Shaking my head, I declined, "Nah, I have something to do." I refused them without hesitation. I had been thinking before about beating up these guys, but their sudden friendliness had me hold back. However, my refusal immediately caused their dissatisfaction. "We invited you out of respect, and you're not going to reciprocate, are you? "With your background, you'd do anything to get into our circle. So, why pretend to be so high and mighty? "What can you possibly have to do? Looking for a job? Don't waste your time. Cross us and you won't be able to get a job in the whole of Los Angeles." My anger surged. The reason I couldn't find a job was right in front of me. Matt sized me up with a smug grin. "Isn't it just about finding a job? There are plenty of enterprises in Los Angeles that belong to the Dark Night Pack and the Blaze Pack. Hang out with us, and we will arrange a job for you tomorrow. How's that for a deal?"Hailey's POVI stared at Matt, a surge of anger rising in my heart, while at the same time, I engaged in a conversation with my wolf Iris in my mind."Iris, can you feel it?" I asked in my heart."I can. They are all ordinary werewolves from the same wolf pack, except for Matt, who has the Alpha bloodline." Iris' voice revealed a hint of disdain."Let me take over your body to give him a lesson. He's too arrogant!" Iris expressed her dissatisfaction.I felt the breath of my wolf starting to release. Perhaps sensing my pressure, Matt and the others took a few steps back in fear.Seeing humans passing by, I realized it was not a proper time."Iris, it is not the time now. We need to be patient," I persuaded."Alright, but don't endure for too long," Iris replied reluctantly.I took a deep breath, trying to calm down, and then smiled at Matt, saying, "Sure, I'll hang out with you guys. But you gotta arrange my work."Surprised that I changed my mind, Matt quickly said, "Great, let's go."
Connor's POVI stood at the edge of the Shadow Forest, and in the darkness, the werewolves of Matt's pack seemed somewhat fidgety.They didn't expect my appearance, and I had the accompanying guards of the Blaze Pack quickly hold them.I walked quickly to Hailey's side. She looked fragile, her eyes revealing helplessness and pleading.Hailey's face turned pale as if all her energy had been drained. She couldn't stand up.My heart tightened, and I immediately lifted her up.Hailey, like a broken doll, leaned against me, trembling uncontrollably.Since I had known Hailey, I had seen how energetic she was when she smiled and how resilient she was when she cried. I had seen a bright and cheerful Hailey. But I had never seen such a fragile Hailey, as if her life was about to be severed.I wrapped Hailey with a coat, holding her in my arms."Ike, have a check."Ike quickly stepped forward. He was an experienced pack doctor.He carefully inquired about Hailey's situation and picked up the gl
Hailey's POVMy heart pounded. I could only hear the intense thumping in my chest amidst the ringing in my ears.Unwilling to see me get hurt, he even risked his life to protect me.Why was he so good to me?Soon, the car arrived at the door of Connor's mansion.As the car door opened, a lot of people gathered around to carefully help Connor out.I couldn't stand steady and was pushed to the side.I saw the wounds on Connor's back and shoulders. His clothes had been torn by the rogue's claws, leaving deep scratches, and his shirt was already stained red with blood.Connor was surrounded by those people, about to leave. With wobbly steps, I tried to get closer but failed due to the crowd.Just then, Connor suddenly turned around and said, "Hailey, come with me."The crowd made way.I hurriedly ran towards him.Connor smirked imperceptibly.My heart was in a mess.I ran to Connor and instinctively grabbed his sleeve amid the chaos, while he didn't push me away.At night, the pack guards
Hailey's POVThe roar of the airplane faded into the background, replaced by the bustling noise of Los Angeles.Walking out of the airport, I was welcomed by the blinding sun. As I shielded my eyes, the glitzy scenery came into my view.Edifices scrapping the sky; streets buzzing with traffic; pedestrians wearing chic and stylish outfits…Everything here was a world away from the Mountain Pack I was most familiar with. I was totally amazed and thrilled.Digging in my backpack, I took out my acceptance letter once again. Actually, I had flipped through it like a hundred times, just to confirm that heart-racing news—I'd been admitted to UCLA!The school wouldn't be starting till a month later, but you didn't always get a cheap flight. So I booked a ticket as soon as I saw a discounted one and arrived in Los Angeles ahead of time.I got the acceptance letter from UCLA about a week ago. Thrilled, I showed it to Alpha Johnny immediately.The news brought a joyful smile to his weary face."
Hailey's POVWhat the heck?I was about to give him a piece of my mind, but he just walked away without a backward glance."How rude!" Iris grumbled in my mind."Well, perhaps his wolf is a proper gentleman. You never know. Did you guys have a nice chat?" I asked."All he did was howl nonsense. He wouldn't even tell me his name," Iris snorted before fading out from my mind.Just then, someone tapped my shoulder. When I turned around, I saw Frank smile at me."Where did he go?" he asked after looking around."You mean Connor? He just left," I replied, pointing towards the door.Hearing what I said, Frank flew into a rage. "What? He left right after he completed the mating ceremony? How dare he?""No biggie. Just give me the address and I'll find my way there," I comforted him."Problem is, he doesn't live in the Blaze Pack," Frank sighed. "What a gruff and clueless kid. Now you see why he couldn't find a mate. You're not gonna reject him, are you?"I replied in a serious tone, "Of cour
Hailey's POV"Sorry, I..." Vita looked at me with a troubled expression, kinda embarrassed about sticking me in a room like this.I patted her hand, reassuring her, "My name's Hailey Carlson. Don't worry, I'll go make coffee after I move all my bags here.""You're a gem, Miss Carlson," she grinned in relief. "Kitchen's to the left of the living room."She dashed off as soon as she finished speaking. Seemed like she was swamped with chores.I hauled my bags into the room on the ground floor. Although it was a room designed for maids, it was spacious and clean enough for me.Having surveyed what was gonna be my temporary residence, I felt quite contented.After taking a deep breath, I was ready to tackle Connor's task. When I strode to the kitchen, however, I was slack-jawed.'Man, this is even bigger than my house back in the Mountain Pack!' I exclaimed inwardly.Calming myself down, I managed to find different types of coffee beans in the cupboard. I grabbed a handful and put them clo
Connor's POVI decided to throw a curveball at Hailey, hitting her up with the kind of chores only Omegas needed to do.As a girl scheming for the fancy life through deception, she'd definitely say no right on the spot.In that case, she'd go to Grandpa straight-up to break our mate bond! Since I wasn't the one mentioning it, Grandpa wouldn't nag me about it. What a perfect plan!However, things didn't go the way I wanted. Hailey agreed to my request so quick that my jaw dropped.Gazing at her clear and innocent eyes, I couldn't help but start doubting my judgment.Maybe she wasn't the cunning type I pegged her as?Just as I was on the fence about speaking up, I got a mind-link from Grandpa.He scolded me for leaving Hailey right after the mating ceremony, his growl earsplitting.'Damn it, Hailey must've snitched on me,' I complained to myself, hating her even more."Come meet me in the pack house now," Grandpa ordered, giving me no room to say no.I had to head for the Blaze Pack to
Hailey's POVI gazed at Connor with sincerity, hoping that he believed I meant what I said.However, he gave no reply, just savoring the dishes in silence.After he finished the food on his plate, he demanded, "Wash all the clothes before you go to bed." With that, he strode out of the dining room.I watched as his figure faded down the corridor, feeling confused.'What a weirdo,' I murmured.To get to know Connor better, I made friends with Vita this afternoon. Turned out he got this quirk about hating strangers crash over at his spot.So, those Omegas and cooks would come at scheduled times and leave right after they finished their jobs.Since it was late in the night, naturally, it was just Connor and me in this spacious villa.Now that he returned to his room, I was all alone.And the villa became even quieter.I felt a bit lonely, but also kinda digging the freedom.After I headed back to my room, I opened my suitcases and started to sort out my stuff.The wardrobe was so huge th