Chapter 2
934 Words
I never understood the appeal of sports—it always seemed like an invitation to injury.
The game on the field was intense, though I couldn't make sense of it. The crowd of girls around me, however, were screaming their lungs out.
During halftime, Janet dragged me along to ask Gavin for his contact information.
She was my cousin, and families always stuck together. Even though I was only two months older than her, I dutifully followed her lead against my will.
And that was how we first met Gavin.
After that, Janet made it her mission to find excuses to meet him, dragging me along whenever she could.
When she discovered that we were practically neighbors, her determination soared—she was adamant about winning him over.
Gavin wasn't just the sole heir to the previous Alpha of the Cooper Tribe; he was strikingly handsome, constantly surrounded by admirers.
But as my wellness center began to thrive, I stopped tagging along with Janet on her attempts to see him.
Gavin noticed my absence, and when he asked about me, Janet told him the truth.
At the time, I was busy expanding my network, meeting doctors through Sophia's connections, and inviting them to join the wellness center.
To my surprise, Gavin—who seemed the picture of health—suddenly became a frequent visitor.
"You know," Janet teased, "maybe he's had a thing for you this whole time."
I didn't think much of it. It wasn't surprising that Gavin would take notice of me.
Werewolves rarely got sick, their robust physiques making illness an uncommon occurrence. But when they did fall ill, it was often life-threatening.
Without the expertise of tribal doctors or the rare healing abilities of a healer, recovery was nearly impossible.
Each tribe was lucky to have even one healer, a once-in-a-century gift. With the power to mend others, healers were revered.
I was the Cooper Tribe's only healer; it wasn't strange for someone like Gavin—the Alpha's son—to take notice of me.
And so, that was how we got to know each other.
Most of what I learned about Gavin came through Janet, who loved sharing gossip.
His family dynamics were… complicated. His mother, the Alpha's second mate, was a formidable woman. The Alpha's first mate had tragically passed away from an illness during childbirth, leaving behind an older son.
If not for Gavin's mother, his path to leadership might not have been so smooth.
Of course, Gavin's rise wasn't just due to her. Every Alpha had to earn their place through combat. Gavin defeated his own father—the previous Alpha—and killed him to claim the title.
But what most people didn't know was that he secretly reached out to me afterward, bringing his barely-alive father to my wellness center.
For three sleepless days, I worked alongside other tribal doctors to pull his father back from the brink of death.
Later, when my wellness center faced financial trouble, Gavin helped me keep it afloat.
Naturally, we ended up together after that.
But as we got older, things became more complicated. I realized I hadn't received the Moon Goddess's blessing.
His parents were furious, accusing me of betraying the Goddess's faith. The fact that I wasn't his destined mate—and the unresolved issues with my own parents—only made things worse.
We fought over and over again. Finally, he told me he was tired. And just like that, we broke up.
Not long after, he started seeing Ruby Collins. So, I was just his doctor now. Nothing more.
Because of the events from the night before, I barely got any sleep. I was late for work at the wellness center the next day.
When I arrived, one of the cleaning ladies was tidying up my office. She greeted me warmly and asked why I was late. Laughing, I joked about being "kept up all night".
She must have misunderstood, though, because she immediately asked why I hadn't married my mate yet.
When I explained that I didn't have one, she enthusiastically offered to introduce me to someone.
Her persistence left me with no choice but to agree.
My relationship with Gavin had been the talk of the town. Our whirlwind romance and equally dramatic breakup were the kind of gossip the tribe loved.
So it wasn't surprising when the cleaning lady suggested setting me up.
Werewolves, like humans, could fall in love and marry even without finding their destined mates. It wasn't uncommon for us to date multiple people.
Because of her recommendation, I ended up exchanging contact information with a potential match.
When I arrived at the meeting place, I recognized him instantly.
It was Victor Parker, Gavin's beta and second-in-command. Among the tribe, he was second only to Gavin in strength and respect. Loyal to a fault, he didn't take orders from anyone else.
We already knew each other, so I teased, "Mr. Parker, I didn't expect someone like you to need a blind date."
Victor smiled warmly, his demeanor much gentler than Gavin's. Truthfully, he was more my type.
While Gavin's reserved personality and current relationship with Ruby kept most women at a distance, Victor's charm and easygoing nature made him incredibly popular.
As we enjoyed our meal in a good mood, a familiar voice interrupted us.
"Is that Dr. Carter?"
I turned and found myself face-to-face with Gavin.
His expression was calm, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of irritation. Beside him stood Ruby, likely out on a date with him.
"Alpha," Victor and I greeted him in unison.
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