how long can fate stay silent… before it forces the truth to be seen?
—————————————————
The Silver Pack moved like a living organism—precise, disciplined, powerful.
Every corner of its territory pulsed with control.
On the far training grounds, warriors clashed under the cold authority of their instructors. The sound of impact echoed again and again—fists meeting flesh, bodies hitting the ground, the sharp crack of bone against bone. Sweat mixed with rainwater as the sky slowly darkened above them, but no one stopped.
"Again!" a voice roared.
A young warrior stumbled, barely catching his balance before being struck again. Pain flashed across his face, but he didn't cry out. No one here did.
Pain was not something to show.
It was something to endure.
Because in the Silver Pack—
Weakness was not forgiven.
Not far from that chaos…
A quieter cruelty unfolded.
Rows of omegas sat neatly on the ground, their backs straight, their hands folded politely in their laps. Their eyes were lowered—not forced, but trained to be.
Conditioned.
An older woman paced slowly in front of them, her voice calm, controlled, almost gentle.
"How you speak reflects your worth."
She paused behind one girl, adjusting her posture slightly.
"How you serve reflects your purpose."
Another pause.
"And how well you please your master…" her voice softened, but carried weight,
"…determines your survival."
The girls nodded.
Silently.
Obediently.
Their identities weren't being built.
They were being erased.
Rewritten into something smaller.
Something quieter.
Something owned.
And far from both strength and submission—
Lily worked.
No one trained her.
No one guided her.
No one cared enough to.
She simply… existed where she was placed.
Her hands moved carefully around a branch, trimming away excess growth with quiet precision. Each cut was gentle, almost thoughtful, as if she feared hurting something that could feel.
Leaves fell slowly, brushing against her fingers before landing at her feet.
The pile had grown without her noticing.
Just like the days.
One blending into another.
Her body was here.
But her mind…
Her mind was somewhere far away.
It always was.
——————————
Above her
The sky shifted.
At first, it was subtle.
A few clouds gathering, drifting lazily across the blue.
Then more.
And more.
Until the sunlight began to fade, swallowed piece by piece by a heavy gray blanket that stretched endlessly above the land.
The air changed.
Cooler.
Heavier.
Charged with something unspoken.
People glanced up, some sighing softly.
"It's going to rain," someone muttered.
Simple.
Predictable.
Normal.
But beneath that ordinary change…
Something deeper stirred.
The wind didn't just move—it guided.
The rain didn't just fall—it concealed.
Nature wasn't reacting.
It was preparing.
Making space.
Clearing a path.
For someone who was never meant to walk unnoticed.
At the very edge of the Silver Pack—
Three figures stood still, watching.
Waiting.
The first drop of rain touched the ground.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, a soft curtain of rainfall spread across the land, dampening scents, blending them into something untraceable.
Jimmy tilted his head back slightly, letting the rain hit his face. A slow smile curved on his lips.
"This…" he said, voice low and satisfied, "…is perfect."
Leo stood beside him, his gaze fixed ahead, sharp and unreadable.
Jimmy continued, brushing wet hair from his forehead
"Rain doesn't just wash the ground. It confuses scent trails. Masks presence. Makes even an Alpha harder to track."
Leo exhaled slowly, the breath heavy, thoughtful.
"…Yeah," he murmured.
Then quieter—
"Feels like… Nature helps us on its own."
Not luck.
Not coincidence.
Something else.
Something unseen.
Tez didn't speak.
He simply moved.
Efficient.
Focused.
Pulling on simple, worn clothing that made him look like any ordinary traveler. From a small pouch, he took out a strong-smelling liquid and rubbed it onto his skin.
Jimmy followed.
Then Leo.
Layer by layer—
Their true scent disappeared.
Hidden beneath something artificial.
Something false.
They became strangers.
Unrecognizable.
Invisible.
Without another word—
They stepped forward.
And entered the Silver Pack.
The market was alive.
Voices overlapped in a chaotic rhythm—
laughter, bargaining, shouting. The scent of cooked food filled the air, rich and inviting, blending with the earthy smell of rain-soaked ground.
People moved freely.
Too busy to notice.
Too distracted to care.
It was the perfect place to disappear.
And yet—
Fate had never cared about hiding.
On a different path—
She walked.
Not rushed.
Not hesitant.
Every step steady.
Certain.
Her presence alone shifted the air around her.
People noticed.
Not because she demanded attention—
But because she naturally held it.
Her beauty wasn't loud.
It was quiet.
Dangerous.
The kind that pulled you in before you even realized you were looking.
And then—
She collided with someone.
The Alpha of the Silver Pack.
The impact was light.
Barely enough to move either of them.
But the moment—
It stretched.
Something shifted.
For the first time in years…
He didn't react.
Didn't dominate.
Didn't question.
Didn't command.
He simply… stared.
His sharp, controlled gaze softened, losing its edge as something unseen wrapped around his mind.
The woman looked up at him slowly.
A small smile touched her lips.
"I'm sorry," she said softly.
Her voice flowed like silk.
Too smooth.
Too perfect.
And then—
Her eyes locked with his.
"Take me to her."
No force.
No raised tone.
No threat.
Just a simple order.
And yet—
It wasn't.
Because the Alpha turned.
Without hesitation.
Without resistance.
And walked.
Like a puppet.
Leading her exactly where she wanted to go.
At that exact moment—
Leo stepped deeper into the pack.
Everything felt normal.
Until—
It didn't.
A scent.
Soft.
Warm.
Sweet.
Like daisies blooming under sunlight after rain.
It didn't approach him.
It hit him.
Hard.
Sudden.
Overwhelming.
His entire body froze.
His breath caught.
And inside him—
His wolf roared.
"MATE."
The word exploded in his mind, wild and uncontrollable.
"MATE… MATE… MATE…"
His heart slammed violently against his chest, his hands trembling as something deep inside him broke open after years of silence.
His eyes burned.
Tears formed before he could stop them.
"No…" he whispered, voice shaking.
"After five years…"
His chest tightened painfully.
"I thought… I didn't have one…"
The loneliness.
The quiet acceptance.
The belief that he was never chosen.
That he was incomplete.
"I thought the Moon Goddess forgot to make someone for me…"
But this—
This feeling—
It was undeniable.
Real.
Alive.
And before he could think—
He ran.
Behind him—
Jimmy and Tez froze.
Then heard it.
"Mate."
That one word.
Everything clicked.
Without hesitation—
They followed.
Within minutes—
They reached the orphanage.
Leo stopped abruptly, chest heaving, eyes wild as they searched desperately.
The scent—
It was everywhere.
Clinging to the walls.
Soaked into the ground.
Lingering in the air.
"My… mate…" his voice cracked, barely holding together. "She's here…"
His gaze darted around.
But—
Nothing.
People moved.
Children laughed.
Workers passed.
But none—
None carried that scent.
Jimmy frowned slightly.
"So she lives here…in orphanage?" he muttered. "Then where is she?"
Tez stepped in immediately, his tone sharp but controlled.
"Calm down. You're drawing attention."
Leo shook his head, frustration breaking through.
"I can't!"
his voice trembled.
"Do you know what this means to me?!"
Tez's expression softened.
"I do," he said quietly. "Which is why you need to control yourself. If someone finds out…"
A pause.
"…she'll be in danger."
That word—
Danger—
Hit harder than anything else.
The thought.... See you will be in danger for him.
Leo went still.
Completely.
Fear replaced desperation.
Slowly—
He forced himself to breathe.
To think.
To move carefully.
Then—
He followed the scent again.
It led him—
To the Alpha's garden.
———————————
Lily adjusted the branch carefully, her fingers steady despite the slight tremble in the air around her.
Then—
She turned.
And collided with someone.
Ouchhh!! ...
The impact pushed her back slightly, her grip tightening instinctively.
The first thing she noticed—
Was his scent.
Sharp.
Like the sea before a storm.
Deep.
Powerful.
Overwhelming.
Her breath caught.
Then—
She looked up.
And for a moment—
Everything stopped.
He was tall.
Too tall.
She barely reached his chest.
His body—strong, defined, every line of him carrying quiet power.
His jaw sharp.
His lips slightly parted—
A piercing catching the light.
More on his ears.
A mole under lip.
His skin—
Fair.
Almost unreal.
Like someone out of a story.
A prince.
Perfect.
And suddenly—
Her thoughts snapped herself.
What are you doing, Lily?
Be loyal.
To your future mate.
She straightened immediately, forcing her expression to harden.
"Can't you walk properly?" she said, trying to sound firm. "This isn't a place for wandering."
Leo didn't answer.
Because now—
He was looking at her.
Really looking.
She was small.
Soft.
Her presence gentle.
Her eyes—
Wide... butterfly type..
Big eyelashes...
Beautiful in a way that wasn't obvious.
Like something you notice slowly.
A small mole on her chin.
Full lips.
Warm skin.
Not perfect.
But…
Real.
And yet—
Nothing.
No scent.
No connection.
His brows furrowed.
Where did it go?
The scent he followed—
Gone.
Like it never existed.
Still—
He spoke.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to bump into you. Did you get hurt?"
Then—
"What rank are you?"
Lily blinked.. it's not the questions that she accepted from someone powerful then her.
"I'm an omega," she replied. " why? Can't you understand?"
Leo shook his head slowly.
"I can't smell you," he said honestly. "Are you hiding it?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief & confusion.
"What?" she snapped. "Why would I hide it? And why do you want to smell me?"
Her brows furrowed deeper.
"…Pervert."
Behind him—
Jimmy and Tez burst into laughter.
But Leo didn't react.
Because something felt wrong.
Deeply wrong.
This girl—
She stood right in front of him.
And yet—
She wasn't his mate.
At least…
That's what he believed.
Without another word—
He stepped past her.
And walked away towards the orphanage.
Lily stood there.
Frozen.
Confused.
Her eyes followed his back as he disappeared.
"…What was that?" she whispered.
Something felt…
Strange.
Unfinished.
Like a sentence cut in the middle.
But she didn't understand why.
So she turned.
And went back to work.
Behind them—
Fate stood silently.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
Because sometimes—
Even when destiny brings two souls face to face…
It still lets them walk away.
Just to make the next meeting—
Unforgettable.
And
The question remains—
Why couldn't he smell her?[1]
[1] anyone can guess?