CHAPTER 187: CHAPTER 187 HER FIRST BITE BACK

Freya

"My bad."

I stepped back from the collision, my automatic apology falling from my lips. When I looked up, my entire body froze as I recognized who stood before me.

Harry. One of Silvano’s closest confidants.

Silvano, Harry, Adrian, Levi and the others had grown up together as future leaders of their respective packs. Their bond was unbreakable – forged through childhood adventures, teenage challenges, and now adult responsibilities in maintaining the delicate balance of power between their territories.

Yet in all these years – Silvano had systematically excluded me from his circle of friends. I had never been permitted entry into that sacred space. They had never been more than distant acquaintances to me – not even worthy of a respectful nod when our paths crossed.

But Aurora... she had been different. Silvano had proudly introduced her to Harry and the others almost immediately. When Aurora celebrated her birthday, Silvano had Harry and the others help arrange the celebration. Now that she was racing, they had all come to support her...

The whispers among pack members told me Aurora had already become remarkably close with Harry and the others. So close that they included her in their gatherings even when Silvano wasn’t present. They had fully accepted her as one of their own.

Perhaps that explained why, in the last two years, whenever Harry or the others saw me, their attitudes had grown increasingly colder. I had once hoped to build relationships with them – to be accepted as their Alpha’s mate – but they’d never cared for me. Never given me a chance.

I also had my pride. Once their attitudes became clear, I stopped trying to force connections. Still, whenever we met, I would always offer polite greetings when necessary.

Usually, I was met with indifference or outright disdain.

This time, I didn’t plan to say anything. I simply attempted to bypass Harry and leave.

But his voice cut through the hallway noise. "Luna Freya, you’re also interested in racing?"

His tone dripped with false politeness, barely masking the suspicion beneath. Selene growled low in my mind, sensing the implication – he thought I had come here to spy on Silvano and Aurora.

I turned around, meeting his gaze with an unexpected chill in mine. "What are you trying to say?"

Harry didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed at being called out. "I just thought someone like you wouldn’t be into racing, so I was curious."

"Someone like me?" I locked eyes with him, allowing Selene’s anger to filter through. "Mr. Blackwood, are we that familiar with each other? Do you know me well enough to make such assumptions? Since you think you understand me so thoroughly, why don’t you tell me exactly what kind of person you believe I am?"

I could see the slight surprise in his eyes. Harry had always seen me as quiet, gentle, even somewhat shy – the perfect mask of submission I’d worn as Luna. But beneath that surface, he and the others had created their own narrative: that I was manipulative and scheming. That I had somehow trapped Silvano into our mate bond through some vile machination.

And afterward, I’d continued my innocent act, refusing to acknowledge what I’d supposedly done.

Harry didn’t respond to my challenge. He just stared, his expression making it clear he couldn’t be bothered to evaluate me. That I wasn’t worth the effort.

But something had changed. The way I spoke to him today was different from before – as if I’d removed my mask and no longer cared to pretend. My gaze was cold, sharp, and cleansed of any need for his approval. There was a hint of sarcasm in it too, mocking him for thinking he could see through me while he stood on his self-constructed moral high ground, judging me without any real understanding.

Selene rumbled with satisfaction inside me. Finally, we were done playing nice.

I didn’t care what Harry thought anymore. I withdrew my gaze and turned to leave without another word, my wolf’s pride restored by this small act of defiance.

York had a place near the university, rented by his sister Stella. By the time I drove him back to the area, it was already 11 PM. Despite having eaten dinner, York was hungry again – the appetite of a young wolf was truly something to behold.

"Freya," he said excitedly, "the late-night food stands over there are amazing. Let me treat you to some snacks!"