“Let you leave? Raelynn, you're my granddaughter. How could I bear to see you left out in the world alone?” Mr. Greg said. I tensed inwardly. I didn’t quite believe his words. As an Alpha, I could sense it—this Imperial Pack Alpha had a controlling, forceful nature. He clearly wasn’t the benevolent kind. “I don’t need the Imperial Pack’s protection. I can take care of myself.” Mr. Greg let out a scoff. “You don’t need our protection? Then whose do you need? Eclipse Pack’s? I heard from the steward you’re engaged to that boy from the Wens. Of all the men out there, you picked someone from Eclipse Pack? He’s not good enough for you.” My face darkened immediately. Claiming to care about me, but trying to control my life—this Alpha was clearly used to having his way. “Who I marry is my business. It’s the twenty-first century, are we still doing arranged marriages now?” My words were blunt and to the point. The room full of werewolves all looked shocked. “Fine, I won’t argue with you about that,” Mr. Greg said. “But at least promise me this—stay here for now.” So this was it: house arrest. I knew it. I shook my head firmly. “No. I have things to deal with. I can’t stay here.” His voice dropped low, laced with power. “Raelynn, if you behave, that boy Aiden from Eclipse Pack stays safe.” Another threat. I knew the Imperial Pack had influence in both the legal and underground worlds and ranked among the top three in Capital City. With me stuck here, it was best not to openly challenge his authority—at least for now. I thought it over, then nodded. That finally brought a smile to Mr. Greg’s face. He praised me for being sensible.Off to the side, Wesley suddenly huffed in irritation. “Okay, if that’s all, can we wrap this up? All this show just to welcome one girl—was that really necessary?” Mr. Greg shot him a glare. “She’s your cousin. We’re family now. You can’t speak about her like that.” Wesley let out a cold laugh. “Family? She doesn’t even want to be part of our family.” Rude as it was, it wasn’t wrong. Mr. Greg cleared his throat. “Enough. Everyone, that’s all for now. Wesley, show your cousin around. She’s new here, help her settle in.” Wesley looked like he was about to explode. “Why me?” “Because you’re the only one close to her age. It’ll be easier for you two to talk.” The truth was, in Wesley’s generation, the Imperial Pack had very few children. The eldest son had Gilbert and Nora. The second had Wesley. One of the daughters—my mother—had only me. All in all, just four kids. I was Mr. Greg’s only granddaughter. No wonder he didn’t want to let me go—there just weren’t enough young heirs left. Wesley was visibly annoyed, but in front of the Alpha, he didn’t dare argue. In the end, he gave a reluctant nod. “All right. You must be tired from the trip,” Mr. Greg said. “Wesley, I had Cloud Pavilion prepared. Take Raelynn there.” Wesley nodded, gave me a flat look, and said, “Let’s go.” I finally breathed a little easier and followed him out. After a few steps, I said, “Thanks.” Wesley raised an eyebrow. “What for?” “I think you said all that just now to help me out.” He must’ve known I didn’t want to keep pretending in there, so he played the jerk on purpose to get me out. Maybe Wesley wasn’t quite the spoiled brat I thought he was.“You wish. Why would I go out of my way to help you? Did you forget you kicked me into a flowerbed like ten minutes ago?” As soon as he mentioned it, his face turned dark again. “Regardless, thank you,” I said sincerely, glancing at his sharp profile. “I get why you wouldn’t want to stay with the Goldberg family.” That sudden comment from him took me by surprise. “What did you say?” Realizing he’d said too much, Wesley immediately put his cold mask back on. “Nothing.” After about five minutes of walking, we reached a small estate. A plaque at the entrance read “Cloud Pavilion.” Wesley stopped at the door. “Go in. If you need anything, call me. But preferably don’t.” With that, he turned and walked away. I watched his retreating figure, then pushed the door open. The place was spacious, the décor heavy with old-fashioned taste. It made me chuckle a little. So that’s where Mr. Greg’s outdated ideas came from. Suddenly, my phone rang. Seeing Aiden’s name on the screen, I hesitated for a moment, then answered. “Where are you? Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?” His voice was full of concern. “Don’t worry. No one dares to touch me. They’ve… actually been treating me pretty well.”