A person’s life was worth more than their past, because they always had a chance to fix the future.

 Alpha Nathaniel was a keen believer of that statement, which led him to go against the unsaid rules of the elitist social structure set out for wolf packs, and accepting people who had what was considered as ‘less noble’ pasts.

 It became clear to him, however, that alpha Felix operated in a way that was quite the opposite. 

He was openly enjoying dismantling the stellar image of his future wife by detailing her past as an orphaned former slave- both circumstances that were well out of her control-, who was sold to his pack. 

So what if fate wasn’t on her side in her early life? She had still turned out this lovely.

 Eileen, unfortunately looked traumatised by the revelations, as if she were afraid that they would ruin Nathaniel’s image of her. He wanted to reassure her, and tell her that nothing her fiance said would change his view of her. But he stopped himself and listened intently, wanting to know everything there was to know about her. 

So he could formulate a plan.

Felix swirled the golden liquid in his glass, causing it to slosh over the ice cubes. He marvelled at how stiff Eileen had turned- like an ice statue, and continued his story telling,

‘So where was I? Ah yes, so after her parents died, the previous Luna and alpha, may they rest in peace, her brother sold her to my pack as a healers apprentice. The healer at that time was an old sod- extremely incompetent, but he was a good teacher though because he taught my Eileen all his tricks.’ 

The words ‘My Eileen’ caused her namesake to stiffen even further.

‘Anyway, then i succeeded my father early- at just eighteen, and i recognised her as my mate, so i, quite generously might i add, freed her of her slave status and asked her to marry me. Even though her status was so beneath me that we never crossed paths. It wouldn’t be so imprudent to call myself her benefactor and keeper, now would it?’ His tone turned mocking, even smug to a certain degree. 

Nathaniel remained quiet for a few beats, much to Felix’s satisfaction and Eileen’s horror. But then he cleared his throat and smiled, 

‘It is quite rare for someone to have such a precious jewel, Felix. You’re a lucky man.’

Felix’s smile dropped at his statement and he remained stunned even as Nathaniel stood up and walked towards the door. He paused with his hand on the door knob and said, 

‘Now that you mentioned it, my town lacks an appropriate healer.’

Felix scrambled to get on his feet and jumped at this opportunity, ‘Eileen would be happy to come over and work there for a while.’ 

Eileen bristles at someone else answering for her but she nods when she realises that Nathaniel had directed his question towards her. 

He leaves the room then and wonders, perhaps my plan might work after all.