At the entrance of the Exclusive Tycoons' Club in Beverly Hills, hidden in a secluded corner, a man stood silently. From his vantage point, he could see everything happening in the main hall. With a top‑notch camera in hand, he recorded the ongoing event, so absorbed in his task that he forgot his surroundings.
Approaching him were a massive wolf and a tall, slender, strikingly handsome man. When they caught sight of the man's back, both froze in shock.
"What the hell is going on here? A male mate?" Derek muttered through the mind link, disbelief lacing his voice.
Leo, still in his wolf form, answered sharply, continuing his deduction. "Impossible. Never in werewolf history has the moon goddess paired the same sex as mates."
He sighed, stepping forward. "Maybe there's more to this person. He can't be cursed, can he?"
Derek's eyes darkened. "Don't curse our mate. Humans don't carry such curses. And this one is clearly human."
Leo glanced at Derek. "What shall we do now?"
Derek frowned, his gaze fixed on the man, who remained engrossed in his work. "Let's take a closer look."
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Leo approached first. Catching the side of the person's face, he noticed the tiny holes in her ears. Excitement surged through him. He spoke through the mind link, triumphant. "I knew it! The moon goddess wouldn't play such a trick on us. She's disguised herself."
Sensing eyes on her, Lilian instinctively turned her head. Shocked, she lost her footing and stumbled, her fall almost comical. Her stunning face was revealed, and her camera dropped to the ground, landing right in front of the massive wolf.
Trembling, Lilian lay on the floor, staring at the wolf. It stood still, gazing at her hungrily, like a predator toying with its prey before feasting.
Seeing their frightened little human mate unable to rise, Derek felt a pang of hurt. He scolded his brother through the mind link. "Step aside. Can't you see you're scaring her?"
Obediently, Leo stepped back. Lilian, too scared to make a sound, remained frozen. Yet, surprisingly, her fear began to fade. A strange urge welled within her—she wanted to ruffle the wolf's fur, to play with it. Still, she knew better than to approach a strange animal so casually.
As she and the wolf locked eyes in a silent contest, a dark shadow suddenly loomed over her. Forced to break her gaze, Lilian looked up. A man extended his hand toward her. Only then did she realize she was still on the ground. She reached out, grasped his hand, and allowed him to pull her up.
The moment their hands touched, sparks rushed through them like an electric current. Lilian quickly pulled her hand away, embarrassed. "Thank you," she murmured.
The man bent down, picked up the fallen camera, and looked at her coldly. "What are you doing here with this?" He held up the device, showing the video she had been recording.
Lilian gasped, rushing forward. "That's mine! Give it back!" She tried to snatch it, but he raised it out of reach. Struggling, she lost her footing again and fell directly against Derek's sturdy chest.
Instinctively, Derek wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. Another surge of sparks rushed through them at the close contact. Startled, Lilian quickly disengaged herself, stepping back and glaring angrily at him. She was about to scold him when recognition struck—
Lilian looked shocked and surprised. Now she could see him clearly—it was the man who had saved her, the one who had taken her out of Avaldos City. Without him, she would never have escaped Perry's clutches. Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, almost breathlessly, "It's you?"
Derek's cold gaze didn't waver, but he gave a slight nod. Lilian let out a soft laugh, uncertain of what to say to such a stoic man.
Gathering her courage, she decided to speak. Since fate had brought them together again, she asked, "What brings you here?"
Derek raised a brow and answered nonchalantly, "This is my territory."
Surprised, Lilian nodded, choosing not to pry too deeply into his life. Instead, she extended her hand for a shake. "Sorry we didn't have the chance to introduce ourselves the first time we met. I'm…."
"Lilian Asienwegher," Derek finished for her, not allowing her to complete the name herself.
She stared at him, wide-eyed, her beautiful gaze filled with surprise. Just as she was about to speak, Derek seemed to anticipate her thoughts. With a teasing edge to his voice, he said, "Who doesn't know Lilian Asienwegher on the hot search?"
Lilian laughed shyly, her one-sided dimple appearing as it always did when she smiled.
"I'm Derek Russell," he said smoothly. "It's my pleasure meeting you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Lilian replied warmly.
From the moment they met, Derek never took his eyes off her. Cayden, on the other hand, was consumed with jealousy—especially after realizing that Derek was the one who had saved their little human mate six months ago. Cayden had believed she was afraid of wolves, so he and Derek had decided to get to know her first before revealing their true origin.
Lost in his thoughts, Cayden was startled when he heard Lilian's sweet, excited voice: "Is that your dog? I love dogs!"
Derek glanced at his brother with amusement before calmly correcting her. "It's not a dog."
Lilian tilted her head, amused by his seriousness. Derek chuckled softly. "He's a wolf."
Her eyes sparkled as she shrugged. "Whatever. To me, it's all the same—as long as it doesn't bite me."
Then, looking at Derek expectantly, she asked, "Can I play with it?"
Without waiting for his response, she crouched down, smiling at the wolf. "Hello," she whispered. To her surprise, the wolf walked straight to her, standing tall before her and gazing deeply into her eyes.
Overjoyed, Lilian stretched out her hand and gently ruffled its head. Seeing the wolf enjoy her touch, she grew bolder, smoothing its back with delight. "What's his name?" she asked Derek.
"Leo," Derek replied.
Her smile widened. "Hey, Leo. Can we be friends?"
Leo lifted his head happily, licking her face and nuzzling the crook of her neck. Lilian burst into laughter. "Hey, Leo, stop! You're tickling me!"
Derek, watching the scene unfold, couldn't help but chuckle.