The position felt too intimate and I held his hand down. I’m annoyed at myself for letting my thoughts wander and have completely forgotten to buckle my seatbelt.
The warmth of his hand on mine made my heart race, and I felt a flush creep up my neck.
What was this feeling? I had never felt this way before.
I stared at him as he withdrew his hand, straightened up in his seat, and started the car. For a moment, there was a softness in his expression that caught me off guard.
His mood was off, and the small space between us seemed to fill with an odd tension. The air was thick with the scent of both of us, and it made my head spin.
I heard Freya, deep within my soul, give a soft sigh.
“Mmm, I like the smell of this man,” she murmured.
Surprised, I lifted my gaze to find Caden turned slightly toward me. His deep, intense eyes were fixed on mine.
“Rosaline … have you ever been kidnapped?” He asked with a deep voice.
Caden’s POV:
I’ve got it. When I was close to Roseline, I caught that faint fragrance on her again. Exactly as I remembered.
Could it be … is Roseline the girl who saved me when I was young?
I couldn’t hold back any longer and finally asked her the question that’s been buried in my heart for so long. Is it really her?
Could that gentle girl be the same person as this constant thorn in my side?
But Roseline’s expression didn’t have the surprise or emotion I’d expected. She just shook her head lightly. “No.”
No?
A wave of disappointment crept over me. Oh, Moon Goddess, why must you be so cruel?
I’ve searched hard for her, driven by my memories and longing. At that moment, I’d really hoped that girl was Roseline.
I let out a silent, bitter laugh and forced myself to pull my emotions back.
I guess my intuition just isn’t sharp enough yet.
Three months from now, when I become the Alpha of Eclipse Pack, I’ll definitely find you!
Roseline’s POV:
I have no idea what’s up with Caden. What did he mean with that question and the look he gave me? Was he hoping I’d been kidnapped or something?
After that, he didn’t say anything. Eleanor was already waiting by the front door when we got home and handed Caden a red invitation card. “This weekend is Mr. Crawford’s 70th birthday. Don’t forget.”
Raymond Crawford is Wendy’s grandfather. He’s the leader of the biggest werewolf clan in Rivemon outside of Eclipse Pack. I think they call themselves the Wild Pack. I couldn’t care less about going, but since I’m living under someone else’s roof, I don’t exactly have a choice.
The party’s at Rivemon’s fanciest hotel, Hearthstone Hotel. Only the big shots will be there.
Normally, I wouldn’t even consider going to something like this, but Eleanor made sure to wake me up bright and early.
While I got dressed and did my makeup, she kept nagging me with the same old line I’m so tired of hearing: “Don’t embarrass the Holbrooks!”
The party was full of clinking glasses and endless chatter. Alphas and high-level werewolves from various packs were there, trying to make connections. I hid in a corner, bored out of my mind, and glanced at my ‘fiancé,’ who was, as usual, soaking up all the attention. Deciding I’d had enough, I got up to head to the rooftop for some fresh air.
I’d only taken a few steps when a group blocked my path – it was Wendy and her clique of shallow friends.
Wendy lifted her hand, showing off a diamond ring that sparkled on her pale finger, making her look even more elegant.
“See this?” she boasted. “It’s a limited-edition ring designed by Ada, one of the top designers in the world. My grandpa bought it for me at an auction in Paris for my birthday last year.”
“It’s beautiful!” her friends gushed. “Only Wendy could pull off such an exquisite piece.”
What a boring conversation. Couldn’t they come up with anything new?
I glanced at the ring on Wendy’s finger. Sure, it was nice, but the diamond was a bit small. Compared to the ones my grandfather used to give me, this was basically a trinket.
“Could you guys move, please?” I couldn’t be bothered with them, so I brushed past them and walked ahead.
As I did, I heard their voices sneering behind me. “Omega’s are just peasants pretending to belong.”
After cooling off on the rooftop, I returned to the hall, only to be singled out by a waitress in a uniform. She pointed at me and loudly declared, “It’s her! She’s the one I saw!”
I looked at her, wondering if she was out of his mind. What was she talking about?
Wendy stepped in at just the right moment, glaring at me. “Roseline, so it was you who stole my ring?!”
Did I steal her ring? What kind of nonsense was this?
I frowned slightly and looked at Wendy. “What ring?”
Her friends gathered around, joining in with accusing voices.
“Who would’ve guessed? So, Mr. Holbrook’s fiancée is a thief.”
“Fiancée? She’s just an Omega from the sticks. She’s probably never seen a diamond ring like that in her life. If she can’t afford it, then of course she’d steal it.”
“Wendy, don’t waste time on her. Just call the police!”
Suddenly, it all made sense – they were trying to frame me for theft. I glanced at Wendy’s hand; sure enough, the ring was gone.
“What’s going on here?” Raymond had heard the commotion and hobbled over with his cane.
Wendy clutched his arm and looked up at him, her voice trembling with anger. “Grandpa, you have to do something. Roseline stole the ring you gave me!”
Raymond patted her shoulder soothingly, then turned to me, his gaze sharp. “Ms. Sinclair, did you take Wendy’s ring?”
I smiled calmly. “No, I didn’t.”
Raymond gave me a hard look, his brows knitting together. “It’s just a ring, but this one means a lot to Wendy. If you really like it, Ms. Sinclair, I’ll give you an even better one another time. But for now, please return it to Wendy.”
I sighed, exasperated. “I didn’t take it, so how am I supposed to return it?”
“Roseline, do you have no shame? Someone saw you take it with your own eyes, and you’re still denying it?” Wendy’s friend, Lilian White, grabbed the waiter who had pointed at Roseline earlier and snapped angrily.
“Oh, really?” I raised an eyebrow, smirking.
If that ring had fallen on the ground, I wouldn’t have bothered picking it up. Wendy’s set up an elaborate trap to frame me for stealing. Fine, let’s see just how far she’ll take this performance.
“What’s going on here?” Raymond looked at me, trying to get the full story.
“Well,” Lilian stepped forward, putting on an exaggeratedly serious expression, “Wendy was showing us her ring, and Roseline just happened to walk by. She seemed really taken by it and stared at it for a long time.”
I almost laughed out loud. This girl could lie without blinking. When did I ever like that ring, let alone stare at it?
Lilian paused, then continued, “After that, we all went dancing, and Wendy took off her ring and put it in her purse. But once we finished, the ring was gone.”
“Yes, we looked all over the hall and ran into this waitress,” Wendy added, barely containing her excitement. “She said she saw someone take my ring and that someone was Roseline!”
Okay, I understand now.
I had to give them credit; the plan was well thought out. They publicly showed me the ring, got a witness, and Wendy’s status made her story hard to doubt.
If I couldn’t prove my innocence here, by tomorrow morning, every werewolf on the continent would know that the Eclipse Pack’s heir, Caden’s fiancée, was a thief.
The pack would never allow Caden to marry a thief as their Luna, and the engagement would be immediately canceled – leaving Wendy free to take my place.
Too bad they underestimated me.
Watching Wendy and Lilian feed off each other’s lines, I let out a cold laugh and fixed my gaze on the waitress. “You say you saw me take Wendy’s ring?”
The waitress was just an Omega, and when my eyes met hers, she couldn’t hold the stare and quickly looked down, nodding timidly. “Yes, I saw it with my own eyes.”
“Don’t be afraid – just tell us the truth!” Lilian gave her a little nod of encouragement.
The waitress finally looked up and said loudly, “I went to the restroom and saw Ms. Sinclair holding the ring and wearing it in her hand. When she noticed me, she quickly shoved it into her purse.”
“Roseline, return the ring to Wendy already! You’ve embarrassed the entire Eclipse Pack!” Eleanor appeared out of nowhere, furious.
“Aunt Eleanor, don’t get so worked up. This has nothing to do with our pack.” Queenie immediately tried to soothe her, giving me a hard glare.
“This country bumpkin has no connection to us. Caden would never marry a thief.”
Her words only made everyone more convinced I’d stolen Wendy’s ring, and a murmur of whispers rose around us.
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