Howl for Me, Not Her

Chapter 8 He Protected Her. Now Someone Protects Me

The scandal blew up—Marcus’s rep tanked, and the pack’s alliances wobbled. He clammed up after the truth dropped at the council hall, turning into a ghost of himself. My folks severed ties with his kin, and I cut all contact.

Then came the real kicker: Lila, my sister, wailed to the pack elders, clutching her belly. “Alpha Marcus, my pup didn’t mean to stir this mess! I wasn’t hidin’ it from you!”“I’ve been tryin’ to reach you, but you ghost me! The Pack Doctor just confirmed the pup, and I ran here—please, let us be!”

She clung to our mom, sobbing like a wounded wolf. Before anyone could step in, both collapsed in a heap. Marcus’s face went crimson, veins popping.

He snarled through gritted teeth, “What pup?!”“Lila, I ain’t got nothin’ to do with that pup you’re carryin’! Shut your trap!”

I watched from the sidelines, fanning myself, smirking at the chaos. Vincent caught my eye and winked, lightening the mood. Lila, desperate, whipped out her phone and called the human cops—bold move for an Omega. It was a dangerous stunt. Our kind kept a delicate truce with humans—stay out of their courts, and they stayed out of our forests.

Calling in human law enforcement over Pack matters? That was borderline heresy.

If the Council found out, Lila could be exiled from the territory or worse—branded as a traitor.

She wasn’t just crying out for help; she was nuking the line between species.

Cradling her belly, she moaned, “My poor pup, your own Alpha don’t even want you.”“If he’s ditchin’ us, I might as well end it!”

She lunged for a pillar, but the crowd gasped as she was snagged mid-air. Shaky, she then flopped dramatically to the ground. The council meeting got axed, and the cops rolled in fast.

The mess went viral—clips of Marcus losing it flooded the net, dominating pack gossip. Later, Vincent spilled the tea: Marcus swore he’d been dosed with wolfsbane and framed by Lila. He bragged about holding his liquor, but that night, three drinks knocked him out cold, and he woke up next to her. He swore the pup wasn’t his and demanded the Pack Doctor run tests.

A month later, the cops dug up Lila’s dirt. She’d been hustling with rogues for cash, bedding wolves left and right. The real shocker? Her main contact was the manager of that bayside joint we loved. It clicked—Lila used the place as a front for her shady deals. The pup wasn’t Marcus’s; she’d faked it to lock him into a mate bond.

Rumors had already been circulating among the lower ranks. A few younger wolves whispered about seeing Lila late at night near the docks, slipping into a sleek black car that didn’t belong to anyone in the pack.

One even swore they saw her arguing with the manager of that seaside restaurant—the one Marcus and I used to frequent. The same guy had recently been fined for licensing fraud.

At the time, I dismissed it as gossip. Now, it felt like the dots were lining up too perfectly.

The whole ugly truth finally howled free.

Marcus’s pack took a hit, teetering on collapse. He turned quiet, a shell of the Alpha he’d been after the council laid it bare.

We started running with Vincent’s crew more. Slowly, I clocked Vincent was still the same pup who’d tail me everywhere. If I stepped out for a sec, he’d ping me, asking where I dipped to.

After a bathroom break, my phone blew up with his texts. I washed up, hit the elevator, and tapped back, “Just left the john, headin’ home from the office.”

As I hit the lodge doors, he shot back, “Hold up, I’m off duty. Let’s grab a bite.”

Annoyed, I stepped through the automatic doors, and there he was, grinning like a fool. “Are you my shadow or somethin’?” I teased, half-pissed. “Can’t shake you, huh?”

We strolled toward the market, and at the crosswalk, I stopped short. Vincent, tailing too close, couldn’t brake in time and grabbed my waist to steady himself. His breath on my neck sent shivers down my spine. I tried to shove him off, but he pulled me tighter.

He looked down, smirking, “Guess I’m your loyal shadow, yeah?”

Mortified by the stares, I started smacking him. “Vincent, you nuts? Let go!”

He whispered, playfully, “Say yes to one thing, and I’ll release you.”

Blushing hard, I snapped, “What? Spit it out!”

His grin turned sly. “Be my mate.”“Elena, I’ve been into you since we were pups.”“So, what do you say? Be mine?”

My breath hitched.

This was real. Not teasing, not flirting—he meant it.

But my mind spiraled. A dozen images flashed—Marcus's betrayal, the council’s whispers, Lila’s fake tears. And now Vincent, sweet, steady Vincent, standing here asking for my trust?

I took a step back, my voice shaky. “Vincent… this isn’t a rebound thing for you, is it? Because I’m still not... whole.”

He didn’t flinch. “I know. I don’t want a perfect Luna. I want you.”

Still, a part of me screamed to run. I’d been burned before—once was enough to scar you for life.

I stared at his hand on my waist, solid and warm. He wasn’t demanding, just waiting—like he always did.

Maybe that’s what made it different.

Vincent didn’t chase me to claim me. He stayed so I’d know I was worth choosing.

My defenses cracked, piece by trembling piece.

I froze, turning to meet his serious eyes. He looked nervous, his grip tightening just a bit, face flushed.

After a beat, I whispered, “Okay…”

Suddenly, he cupped my face, making me look at him. “Say it again; I missed it.”

Eyes shut, I blurted, “I said yes!”

Next thing, his lips were on mine, soft but sure. I shoved him back, both of us red-faced by the roadside. As I geared up to chew him out, the sunlight hit his face, and he beamed, holding out a ring box.

Inside, a moonstone ring gleamed.

Just below the ring, nestled in velvet, was a gold-etched scroll bearing the seal of the Elder Council.I frowned, pulling it out.“What’s this?” I asked.Vincent rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly shy.“Official notice,” he mumbled. “The Council appointed me as the Alpha of the Northwatch Enclave last moon cycle. My old pack petitioned for it—I guess they think I’ve grown up.”I blinked, stunned. “You’re… an Alpha now?”He nodded, gaze steady. “Yeah. I earned it. So… if a Luna were to stand beside me, it’d be by right.”My breath caught in my throat, the weight of those words settling in. He wasn't just my childhood friend anymore—he was my equal now. Maybe even my future.As for Lila—justice came swift.

The Council ruled her actions as betrayal under Pack Law. Faking a mate bond, lying about a pup, and dragging human law into Pack affairs? That was enough to strip her of Omega protections.

She was exiled from Moonridge territory under full moon decree. No goodbye, no redemption arc—just a mark on her file and silence from the Elders.

Last I heard, she was spotted wandering rogue lands, her aura faded, her scent untraceable. A lone wolf— cast out by blood, bond, and pack.

No one spoke her name after that.

The hall emptied, the moon climbing high above Lunar Bay, casting silver over the market square.

I stood in silence, the shadows of what had been finally slipping off my shoulders.

Then I felt it—warmth. A steady presence beside me. Vincent.

He didn't speak right away. Just stood there, waiting, like he always did.

Finally, he said, “Elena, I can’t wait anymore.”

He turned to face me fully, voice low but sure. “Let’s make it official—let’s be mates for life.”

“Elena, I can’t wait anymore.”“Let’s make it official—let’s be mates for life.”