The Wolfless Omega: The Alpha's Runaway Bride

Chapter Three

Raine's Perspective

In a daze, I seemed to have been sent to the pack's clinic. A werewolf in a white coat appeared in my vision; I couldn't tell if it was a hallucination. I only vaguely felt a familiar figure by the bed never leaving.

Medicine was applied to my forehead and neck, so cold it made me shiver.

Ronan's voice came as if through water, more tense than usual, as if asking over and over how long it would take for the fever to break.

For a moment, I wished he would say something else, and maybe I wouldn't feel so awful.

The fever finally broke in the second half of the night.

I slowly opened my eyes and met Ronan's worried gaze.

He gently held me in his arms and said, "Raine, you don't need to work these next two days. Rest well."

I nodded lightly and fell asleep again in his warm embrace.

The next morning, I dragged my not-yet-recovered body back to my quarters.

When I pushed open the door, I found Sable sitting on the edge of my bed.

In front of her was a small pile of things—my belongings accumulated over the years: a few decent pieces of jewelry, some loose diamonds, fabrics, and tools.

She rummaged through the pile, picking and choosing, gathering the most valuable items to her side and pushing the rest aside.

My brain buzzed, and I froze at the door.

Among that pile of fabric was an old cloth wrapped around my hidden fake ID!

Sable looked up and saw me standing at the door. Without the slightest guilt, she hugged the valuables to her chest and said smugly: "These should all be mine. A lowly thing like you only gets to keep the rest."

I ignored her words and stared fixedly at the edge of the old cloth, where the corner of a card stuck out.

My heart shot into my throat.

"Put that down!" I was furious.

Sable raised an eyebrow: "I won't! You tricked Alpha back then and stole my place. Everything of yours should be mine!"

"I don't care about your stupid place. Give me back my things!"

I rushed forward and struggled with Sable. The items in her arms fell back onto the bed in pieces.

The old cloth bundle was gently covered.

I breathed a sigh of relief and clamped both of Sable's hands with all my strength.

"You b***h! Let go of me!" she shouted in fury.

I tilted my head, caught my breath, and sneered: "Tell me, what place did I steal from you?"

"You know very well." Sable bit her lip. "Ronan should have chosen me to serve him personally—it was you—"

"Who told you to be so ugly?" I said. "He doesn't fancy you. If you want to blame someone, blame him. Don't come stealing my things."

"You—"

Before she could finish, the door suddenly swung open from outside.

Ronan stood at the door. His gaze swept over the scene—my hands and Sable's wrists tangled together, then the messy bed.

"What's going on now?" He frowned slightly.

Sable had already broken free of my grip. She turned and threw herself at him, hooking his arm: "It's Raine. She's upset about being punished yesterday, so she took things from me and won't give them back, and she was mean to me!"

Ronan looked at me. I wanted to speak, but I knew that if he looked closer, he would see the things on the bed were mine. Several of them were gifts from him.

But he didn't.

He stroked Sable's hair and sternly questioned me: "Raine, have you forgotten what you promised me last night? Stop bullying Sable. Don't force me to punish you again."

Then he lowered his head to comfort Sable: "Alright, I'll send you a few new gifts tomorrow. Those are old—don't bother with them."

"Okay, go do whatever you need to do." He dropped his hand, turned, and left. His walk carried the wind, decisive, not sparing me another glance.

Sable snorted at me and followed him out.

I stood where I was, grievance and disappointment surging in my chest.

But I seemed to have gotten used to it.

Used to Ronan's unpredictability—cherishing me one second, hurting me the next.

Fortunately, the fake ID had been mixed in with the pile and hadn't been discovered. I had escaped a calamity.

In the afternoon, just as I finished tidying my room, a manager came to deliver a message. He stood at the door and loudly announced: the engagement ceremony was set for seven days from now. All personnel must perform their duties, be prepared, and must not delay when the time came.

I braced my hands on the edge of the bed, my mind blank for a moment, when a bold idea suddenly formed.

For five years, I had been waiting for an opportunity.

Of the batch of humans trafficked back then, I alone survived tenaciously. Over these five years, I had watched others around me attempt escape, fail, and die horribly.

I knew the price of failed escape—after being caught, life was worse than death. So I chose compromise and lying low, waiting for the chance, and it had to succeed on the first try.

Now, I had finally saved enough money. The engagement banquet might be my chance to escape!

I was somewhat excited and didn't hesitate.

I found the werewolf in charge of preparations.

"Maggie, there aren't enough people for the engagement ceremony right now. I'm short on money and bored, so let me help."

Maggie glanced at me, probably surprised that someone who had just been punished yesterday had so much energy.

"Which part do you want to handle?"

"I can do anything—errands, deliveries, counting supplies," I said.

"Alright, I can sign you up, but it needs the Alpha's approval. Wait for news."

I wasn't sure Ronan would agree to let me work. I waited all afternoon with a restless heart. Then Maggie came to my quarters.

Ronan had agreed!

I was assigned to inventory supplies from the Crestmoon Pack. Supply trucks came and went constantly, and over the next few days, I figured out the arrival and unloading times of every batch.

The last batch of goods arrived in the afternoon. The escorts finished counting, confirmed the handover with the manager, and then chatted idly.

No one noticed me nearby, carefully recording details in my notebook.

One of them casually remarked: "This? This batch of trucks will unload on the day of the ceremony and return empty. They'll be back in the Crestmoon Pack before dark, no delay."

I kept my head down counting the slips in my hands, but my attention was drawn.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind.

"You're an Omega. Why are you recording the convoy's schedule so carefully?"

My pen trembled in my hand.